


Primeval: Collision Course

by Twix3780



Series: Sofi Wyatt [1]
Category: Primeval, Primeval: New World
Genre: Abby is abducted, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Big Sister Abby, Bomb?, Breaking the News to Family, Carboniferous Arachnids, Carboniferous Centipede, Carboniferous Epoch, Carnivorous Worms, Character Death, Character Deaths, Claudia is attacked, Connor Nearly Gets Eaten, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Cross-Posted on Quotev, Cross-Posted on Wattpad, Devils Aquarium, Dinosaurs, Dodo's Attack, F/F, F/M, Future Anomaly, Future Predator, Helen Cutter Returns, Helen Escapes, Helen Saves Claudia, James Lester is Attacked, Killing Characters, M/M, Major Original Character(s), Marooned, Minor Original Character(s), Minor Original Characters Deaths, Mole in the Department, Mosasaurus - Freeform, New Relationship, Nick and Stephen Disappear, Nick defends Claudia, Oliver Leek is the Traitor, Original Character(s), Original Female Character(s) - Freeform, Out of the Blue, Parasites, Parasitic Deception, Prehistoric, Primeval - Freeform, Primeval Will Return, Pterodactyl, Pterosaurs, Race Against Time, Raptors attack a shopping mall, Rewrite, Sabre-Tooth Cat, Sabre-Tooth Tiger, Season One Complete, Season Two Complete, Sofi Wyatt will return, Sofi and Jayden fight, Sofi faces the monster that killed her brother, Sofi gets hit, Sofi is knocked out, Sofi realises the truth, Spaghetti Junction of Anomalies, Stephen Sacrifices himself, Stephen's Funeral, Stolen Government Property, Submerged Anomaly, Team Bonding, The Future Exists, Tom dies, Toxic Invasion, Traitor Revealed, Trapped, Trust, Underwater Anomaly, What the fuck is a bomb doing at the ARC?, death's door, mystery person - Freeform, poisoned, prehistoric creatures, venom - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-10
Updated: 2019-10-03
Packaged: 2019-11-14 18:28:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 14
Words: 105,679
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18057755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Twix3780/pseuds/Twix3780
Summary: Sofi Wyatt is an ambitious young grad student working on her Master’s degree and researching her Ph.D thesis. During a morning appointment with Professor Nick Cutter at the Metropolitan University she is invited out on a hoax hunt, which ultimately sets her on a collision course with the past. Season 1&2





	1. Just the Beginning

_Shit!_

This was the immediate thought for nineteen-year-old Sofi Wyatt as she pulled up outside the University of Metropolis. She had a meeting with the head of Zoology - Professor Nick Cutter that morning, and she was late.

Snatching her backpack and folder from the passenger seat, Sofi slammed  the door of her 2005 electric green Mustang Convertiable and locked it. Before running towards the University. Her Professor’s office was on the first floor, and the fastest way there was around the south-east wall, across the gangplank, and up the stairs into the building.

But to do all that in three minutes would be an incredible feat.

Breathing hard as she ran, dancing and dashing around other students, and calling out apologies when she accidentally clipped them, Sofi reached the steps and flew up them, she boots pounding against the stone in her haste.

She had one minute until her appointment officially began.

Perhaps the Professor would allow her the chance to pass out before he conducted their appointment. She would’ve laughed at the thought, had she not been in such a rush.

_Nearly there_ … Sofi thought as Professor Cutter’s door came within view. Sofi slowed her run, cocking her head to the side, and allowing her red hair to fall down over her shoulder. The door to Cutter’s office was open, and there were voices coming from inside.

Sliding to a halt just outside the door, Sofi took a deep breath. Her heart was hammering painfully against her ribcage, and her breath was coming in short gasps. She wasn’t exactly fit, but she wasn’t unfit, to say the least.

It had been almost six months since she had last run that far, hard, and fast.

The most she run, or walked, these days was once or twice around the park when she took Toby for a walk.

Toby was her two-year Bloodhound. She had named him after her favourite fictional bloodhound from the Sherlock Holmes novels.

Raising her hand, Sofi knocked twice on the door and stepped into the office after being asked to do so.

“Sorry I’m late, Professor…” Sofi apologised. She paused as she noticed three pairs of eyes staring at her from around the room. She recognised all of them, of course. Professor Nick Cutter, his lab technician, Stephen Hart, and Connor Temple, another Zoology student working under Nick.

“Ah, yes, Miss Wyatt,” Professor Cutter said, clearing away more papers from his desk. Not that it helped much with the clutter, the room was almost overflowing with papers. It stacked up high all around the room, and where there weren’t papers, there were dinosaur bones.

Stephen’s desk didn’t seem that much better, either. If it weren’t covered in papers, it held an assortment of instruments that Sofi had no clue what they were used for.

“Come on, come in,” Professor Cutter said, waving at her. “I have your dissertation right here.” He held up a purple folder full of papers.

Sofi stepped down, into the room, and smiled at Connor. She felt like she wanted to apologise for interrupting him, but she also knew that she was Cutter’s first appointment of the day.

“I’m sorry, Connor,” said Professor Cutter. “But I do have a pre-booked appointment with Miss Wyatt.”

Connor smiled and nodded. “That’s alright. I mean, it’s not like the Forest of Dean is that far away, anyway.”

Sofi, who had been in the process of rifling through her backpack, looking for her Dissertation notebook - she had different books and folders for each of her degree subjects - stopped and looked up. The room temperature, which seemed to be mildly warm, had dropped significantly.

“The Forest of Dean?” Professor Cutter questioned.

“Yep,” said Connor, popping the ‘p’. He dawdled near the foot of the stairs, leading to the door. He now knew that he had Professor Cutter’s full attention.

Stephen sighed and looked up from his desk. “If we leave now, we could be there by lunch,” he said.

“I could come back,” said Sofi. “If you have something to deal with, I don’t mind. I can reschedule.”

Cutter looked at her expectantly. It was obvious in his eyes that he had been wanting to talk to her about her work, but he also wanted to check out the Forest of Dean. “Actually,” he said. “Why don’t you join us?”

Sofi looked around. “Join you?” she asked.

“Yes, we can discuss your dissertation in the car,” said Cutter. “I did read it last night. I wish to hear more.”

“Oh, um, okay… I guess…” Sofi stammered.

Nick handed her back her purple folder, and Sofi tucked it into her backpack along with the rest of her notes.

“Great,” Cutter said, nodding. He looked at Stephen. “Let’s go.”

**~X~**

“The basis of your dissertation is an ambitious one, Miss Wyatt,” said Professor Cutter. He was sitting in the driver’s seat of his truck, driving down the M4 towards the Forest of Dean.

Sofi chuckled. “You sound like my dad, Professor,” she said.

“What are you hoping to gain from it?” Stephen asked. He was sitting shotgun to Cutter and had turned slightly in his seat so he could see the teenager over his shoulder.

“I hope to find a pattern,” Sofi answered.

“A pattern?” Professor Cutter repeated. “Would you like to elaborate on that?”

Sofi turned her head to the window and looked out at the passing cars and trees. “I had three main questions to discuss with you this morning,” she said. “One of which, and most possibly the main part of my entire dissertation, was if it was possible that natural environmental causes had a play in the Dinosaurs extinction, and, if yes, could it happen again in the near future?”

“Sounds complicated,” Connor said. He sitting alongside Sofi, and behind Stephen. He had kept quiet for most of the car ride, preferring to rifle through the newspaper in his lap then comment on someone else's Dissertation process.

Sofi half-glanced at him.

“What kind of environmental changes, Miss Wyatt?” Professor Cutter asked.

Sofi shrugged. “We know that there were environmental changes after the meteorite crashed into Earth,” she said. “There is evidence of that. But, what if that hadn’t have happened? Would the dinosaurs have died out on their own? Was there disease or toxins in the environment back then, just like there is today, that could’ve killed the great reptiles?”

Professor Cutter and Stephen shared an amused look as Sofi continued to ramble. It was obvious that she was passionate about her work, and had obviously put a lot of thought into her research.

“... and if there were any of these issues back then, could they have survived the meteorite crash, and could they occur again?” Sofi finished. She took a deep breath and looked up, pausing as she noticed three pairs of eyes on her. “Sorry,” she added sheepishly.

Professor Cutter chuckled. “Please, don’t apologise,” he said, shaking his head.

Up ahead, the road turned off to the right as the gates leading into the Forest of Dean appeared. They were already open, but a security guard did step out of his unit to greet them. Cutter explained why they were there, and the guard nodded, directing them in.

Once the group had reached its destination, Sofi hopped out of the back and closed the door in her wake. She followed Cutter across the empty car park towards a large tractor-trailer on the opposite side of the lot. It had been dumped there and was completely ripped apart. Large slashes in its sides indicated a large creature, or maybe heavy machinery.

“I’d just finished my rounds when I caught a glimpse of it on the monitor,” the security guard explained.

Connor gaped at the trailer. “Can you imagine how much force it took to rip this thing open?” he asked. “Look at the size of the marks. You know, if you want my opinion, I think it’s…” he trailed off at the look Cutter shot him.

“Well, if I found these gouges in the wild, I’d be certain we’d be looking for a large predator,” said Stephen, inspecting the slashes more closely.

Sofi followed Stephen closer to the trailer. She carefully raised her hand to the claw marks, and gingerly traced her finger across the serrated edges. “They’re too big to be from a big cat, so I’d rule out tiger or lion,” she said.

“Tiger or Lion?” Connor asked. “In the Forest of Dean?”

“They could’ve escaped from a private zoo or a passing circus,” said Sofi. “But there is no way a tiger or lion did this sort of damage. Their claws aren’t strong enough, for starts, and their paws are much smaller. Whatever did this much larger than a big cat.”

Stephen nodded in agreement.

“It was huge and it was so fast,” the security guard said. “It was gone across the yard in a second.”

“Well, there’s blood,” said Stephen, wiping away a smear of red on the side of the trailer.

“Human or animal?” Sofi asked.

Stephen shrugged. “Does it matter?” he asked.

“Guess not,” Sofi answered. She looked back just in time to see Professor Cutter walk away from the group. He was heading towards the fence surrounding the forest.

“Stephen,” Cutter called. He was staring transfixed at something behind the trailer. “Come give me a logical explanation for this.”

Stephen met Sofi’s gaze as he stepped around her. They held the same curiosity that he could feel in himself. “It’s a hoax, obviously,” he said, approaching his friend and mentor.

Sofi fell into step beside Stephen and stopped as she reached Cutter. The fence separating the Forest of Dean from the lot was virtually ripped in two. Twisted beams of metal stuck out at awkward angles, giving the idea that something very, _very_ large had recently been through.

“Just a difficult one to pull off,” Stephen finished, quietly.

A shadow fell over Sofi as Connor stepped up behind her. “Can I say something?” he asked, but was ignored as Cutter walked away.

“Is he alright?” Sofi asked Stephen.

“Is wife, Helen, came to this area eight years ago to investigate a creature sighting,” Stephen explained. “She disappeared in the forest. The body was never found.”

Sofi looked thoughtful. “I remember that,” she said. “I was ten at the time. I remember my father telling me about it. Didn’t they find just a rucksack?”

Stephen nodded. “No blood, no clues, nothing,” he confirmed. “She just vanished.”

“Are we considering its connected?” Connor asked.

“It’s a possibility,” said Sofi.

“Or it’s just a coincidence,” Connor argued.

Sofi turned to face Connor and cocked her head to the side. “I don’t believe in coincidences,” she said.

Stephen watched the interaction from the corner of his eye, a smirk on his lips.

“So I’ve gathered,” Connor muttered as Sofi turned away again.

**~X~**

The Eddington Hotel was, in Sofi’s opinion, a country club for the rich. Sure, it may have resided within the Forest of Dean but, from the outside, it looked like only those with ‘silly’ money spent most of their time inside.

Sofi exited the double doors and stepped back out into the open air. Professor Nick Cutter had disappeared into the lounge when they had first entered, and she had only gone in to use the restroom.

Waiting at the car, showing off something on his computer, was Connor Temple and Stephen Hart. The two men looked up as Sofi returned, running her hands over her shirt to dry them completely.

“Where’s Cutter?” Stephen asked.

“Probably halfway through his second whiskey by now,” Sofi answered. “I mean, I don’t blame him. If my wife disappeared eight years ago and then something that could possibly be linked to her disappearance popped up again, I’d be drinking, too.”

Stephen stared at her.

Sofi frowned. “What?” she asked.

“Nothing. Just… you’re the first person that’s considered the possibility that she isn't dead,” said Stephen. “What makes you think that she’s just disappeared?”

“Oh, well, um,” said Sofi, stammering. “It’s kinda stupid, to be honest.”

“Try me.”

Sofi sighed and then shrugged. “Alright. Well, I have this weird... _thing_ about evidence,” she said. “If there is no evidence to collaborate or prove that something happened, then it didn’t happen.”

“So, religion?” Stephen asked, smirking.

“I’m an Atheist,” Sofi replied.

Stephen chuckled. “You spoke about your father before,” he said. “But no mother? Do you mind if I…?”

Sofi nodded and smiled. “My mother died when I was a child,” she answered. “She and my baby brother, Abel. They were killed by… monsters.”

“Monsters?” Connor asked. “No such thing.”

“I was eight!” Sofi snapped, hotly. “Everything was monstrous to me. Besides, those who kill don’t deserve a title - murder, serial killer - that’s just being too nice. If you take a life then you’re a monster.”

Stephen offered her a small smile and quickly changed the subject. “What is this exactly?” he asked, gesturing to the computer.

“This database contains constantly updated information on all non-extinct vertebrates,” Connor explained. “I’ve been building it every spare second since I was fourteen.”

“It’s impressive,” Stephen said.

“It’s pretty cool, huh?” Connor grinned.

“And slightly sad,” Stephen added, turning away.

Sofi laughed but stopped as Connor shot her a look. She shrugged and turned away as crunching gravel came from behind her.

Cutter was returning, and he had brought a friend.

“This is Claudia Brown from the Home Office,” Cutter introduced.

“Home Office?” Sofi questioned.

Claudia nodded. “You look familiar, have we met?” she asked.

“Probably,” Sofi answered. “My father works for the Home Office. He’s a scientist there. He works in the DNA analysis labs.”

“Christopher Wyatt?”

Sofi nodded.

“Yes, I know him,” Claudia said with a smile. “Brilliant mind. Exceptional worker.”

“That’s dad,” Sofi said. “Can I just ask why the Home Office is interested in a possible hoax?”

Claudia chuckled. “If this is a hoax then it’s a very good one,” she said. “It’s caused enough of a stir for the journalists to write about.”

“Yeah, but journalists these days will write about anything,” said Sofi, “and none of it can be proven true.”

“Probably,” Claudia said. “But, this is national security. We have to be sure.”

Sofi shrugged and frowned as she caught Professor Cutter smiling at her. “What?” she asked. Why was everyone staring at her today?

“Inquisitive, Curious, and clearly not afraid to speak your mind,” Cutter said.

“Oh, sorry,” Sofi apologised, blushing. “Please do tell me if I overstep my boundaries.”

“Shall we?” Cutter asked.

The group nodded and piled back into the car, with Sofi wedged in the back between Stephen and Connor.

**~X~**

“Have you done any research on the Forest of Dean?” Stephen asked Sofi as she fell into step beside him. They were trekking through the trees, pushing aside branches and stepping over roots that broke through the forest floor.

Sofi glanced up at him. “What makes you think that?” she asked.

Stephen shrugged. “Research seems to be your thing,” he said. “You definitely have a passion for it.”

“Fair point,” Sofi said, nodding. “In all honesty, I have researched this particular forest before. My father and I came here once when I was a child. I didn’t like it all that much, too creepy, but a couple of friends wanted to come camping here a few years ago, and I researched good camping spots beforehand.”

“What did you learn?”

“I learned that it’s a geographical, historical, and cultural region,” Sofi answered. “It forms a roughly triangular plateau bounded by the River Wye to the west and northwest, Herefordshire is to the north, the River Severn to the south, and the City of Gloucester to the east.”

“Did you know that it’s the second largest crown forest in England?” Stephen asked. “The first being New Forest.”

Sofi grinned. “I did actually, but thanks for the reminder,” she said.

“What about its prehistory?” Stephen asked.

“It was pretty inhabitant around the Mesolithic era,” said Sofi. “And it has a Bronze Age field system.”

Stephen chuckled. “How do you remember all this stuff?” he asked, curiously.

Sofi shrugged. “I guess it depends on how interested I am in the subject,” she answered. “If I read something and find it boring, then there is no guarantee that it will stick. But, if I find something that piques my interest…” she grinned.

Suddenly, Stephen grabbed Sofi’s arm, pulling her to a halt.

“Hey…” Sofi started to protest. She stopped when she so Stephen staring at something over her head. Turning on the spot, Sofi felt her eyes widen and her mouth open into an ‘O’.

“Cutter!” Stephen called over his shoulder.

Cutter, Connor, and Claudia soon reached Stephen and Sofi, each of them staring up at the dead cow in the tree.

“Okay, now I’m getting interested,” Cutter said.

Sofi looked to Connor. “What direction are we heading?” she asked, holding up her phone. While Stephen preferred to track things the old fashion way - with an actual map - she preferred using her phone’s GPS to keep tabs of their whereabouts.

“Uh,” Connor said, holding up the small golden device in his hand. He paused and frowned as the spindle spun rapidly. “Professor, the compass is going haywire,” he added, handing the small device over to Cutter.

“What could cause that to happen?” Claudia asked.

Sofi shared a look with Stephen but the question remained unanswered.

**~X~**

The discovery of the dead cow in a tree made Sofi uneasy as she continued to trail Stephen through the Forest. It wasn’t _just_ the fact that the cow was dead, it was also the idea that it had been dragged up into a tree.

“I thought the chances of this predator being a big cat was impossible?” Connor asked, catching up to Sofi.

“I didn’t say it was impossible,” Sofi replied. “Just probably unlikely.”

“Then how do you explain the dead cow in a tree?” Connor asked. “Don’t some big cats drag their prey into trees in order to keep them from other predators?”

Sofi nodded. “The leopard does just that,” she said. “But how many leopards do you know of that reside within the Forest of Dean?”

Connor shrugged. “Anything is possible at this point, right?” he asked.

“Well, like you heard me telling Stephen unless you can find proof that it was a big cat you’re going to have a hard time convincing me.”

“Then what else could it be?” Connor asked.

Sofi glanced at him. “You have your own theories,” she said. “Why don’t you try voicing one of them?”

“Because I know you’ll laugh at them,” said Connor. “You know, being all ‘find me proof to convince me’ and everything.”

Sofi rolled her eyes. “Theories aren’t realistic until there is proof to back them up,” she said. “That’s the whole point. So, go on, tell me one of your theories.”

Connor hesitated. “Alright. Well, I think that there may have been a dinosaur in that warehouse,” he said. “The image, albeit blurry, looks like a dinosaur.”

Sofi stopped walking and turned to stare at Connor. “You’re right,” she said. “I do find that absurd. Dinosaurs have been extinct for sixty-five million years. There is no way they are running -” she cut off as a loud roar echoed around the area.

“What was that?” Connor asked, looking around wildly.

“Over here…” Stephen called from somewhere ahead.

Sofi and Connor shared a look and then jogged over to the sound of his voice, they turned a tree and stopped dead as a massive creature appeared out of the darkness.

“Oh my… is that what I think it is?” Connor asked. He turned and shot a grin at Sofi.

With a smile, Sofi rolled her eyes and shook her head.

“It’s some kind of experiment, maybe,” said Cutter. “Hybrid, a throwback.”

The creature stomped its feet and cowered away from the group crowding around it. It sniffed and blew out a breath of hot air, the remains of which curled into smoke in the cold night.

“Who are you?” Cutter asked a woman stood nearby. Sofi wouldn’t have noticed her had he not said anything.

“Abby Maitland. I’m a keeper at Wellington Zoo,” the woman answered. She had pixie-cropped blonde hair and was wearing tight skinny jeans, thigh-high black boots, a white shirt and a black leather jacket.

Cutter seemed content with her answer and he turned his attention back to the creature. It was now munching on the roots and grass. “It’s a reptile,” he said. “Five or six tons, at least. Large supratemporal bosses. Huge osteoderms on its back. It must be some kind of anapsid.”

“A tortoise?” Abby and Sofi asked.

The creature roared as Stephen tried to get closer, but the roar was more directed at Cutter as he edged further away from the head. Both men jumped and stepped back.

“Stay in his field of vision,” Abby said. “You’re making him nervous.”

Cutter nodded and returned to the group.

“Ha! I was right,” Connor said, excitedly. “It was a dinosaur in that warehouse.” He took out his phone and snapped a picture of the creature, the flash ignited and caused the animal to roar again.

Sofi glared at Connor and snatched his phone. “You’re scaring him!” she said, hotly.

“Besides, whatever it is, it’s classified until I find out what the hell to do about it,” Claudia said. “Delete that photo,” she added to Sofi.

Sofi nodded and deleted the image.

A small chirping came from the bushes nearby. Sofi turned and shone the torch from her phone onto the ground, just as a small green lizard ambled out into the spotlight. “Oh, hello, beautiful,” she cooed, kneeling down beside it and stroking its chin.

“Bloody hell. There’s two of them,” said Stephen, squatting down beside her.

“Where did that come from?” Cutter asked.

The lizard cocked its head to the side as it looked up at Sofi, it then raised one of its legs and scratched at its face, chirping happily as she petted the crest on top of its head.

Sofi chuckled at the playfulness of the creature. It reminded her of her cat, Figaro.

“I just got a call stating that a boy claims to have been attacked by a monster in his home,” said Claudia. Cutter straightened up and faced her. “He lives not that far from here. His name’s Ben Trent.”

Abby looked around, alarmed. “That’s the boy who found Rex,” she said, pointing at the lizard that Sofi was still playing with. “We were out here together, but we got separated.”

Cutter looked from Claudia to Stephen and then back again. “We need to talk to him,” he said. “Stephen, you, Sofi, and Connor stay here. Abby, you come with us. You know this boy, he trusts you. He’s more likely to talk to us if you’re present.”

Abby nodded and followed Claudia and Cutter away.

**~X~**

Sofi looked up from Rex and caught Stephen’s gaze. “Is this real?” she asked. “Are we actually staring at two dinosaurs?”

“I thought you didn’t believe in anything that didn’t have proof or evidence to back it up?” Stephen asked. He lowered himself down against a tree, just behind Sofi, and watched as she continued to interact with Rex.

“I don’t,” Sofi confirmed. “But this… it just…” she sighed, shaking her head. “It just seems so real.  That is not a tortoise,” she looked over at the grazing herbivore nearby, “and this little guy is more than just a flying lizard.”

Stumbling over, Connor took a seat beside Stephen. “You know this is going to win me the Nobel Prize,” he said, proudly.

“Claiming fame on innocent creatures?” Sofi asked. “I thought you had more tack than that.”

“Hey, I was right!” Connor said, smugly. “This is proof enough that my theory was right. It’s too bad we didn’t bet on it.”

Sofi rolled her eyes. “I didn’t take you for a betting man, Connor,” she said.

“I’m not. But this is going to make me rich, and if not that then famous!”

Stephen shook his head. “We don’t know what we’re dealing with yet,” he said.

“Oh, come on,” Connor sighed. “It looks like a dinosaur and behaves like a dinosaur. It’s a dinosaur. It’s the missing link to the ancient past, and I discovered it.”

“Actually, if what Abby said is true and the kid, Ben found Rex,” said Sofi. “Then that means Ben discovered the missing link, not you. He should be the one claiming victory.”

Connor pouted. But before he could fire back with a retort, Professor Cutter’s voice shouted through the dense trees and darkness.

“Stephen!”

The creature roared loudly in the direction of the shouting and flashing lights. It backed up, away from the commotion, and then headed off through the trees. It’s giant footfalls sending thunderous vibrations through the ground.

“Where’s it going?” Connor asked, panicked.

“Let it go!” Cutter called. “It’s scared.”

“No shit, Sherlock!” Sofi muttered. She scooped up Rex and stood up, looking around as Claudia, Cutter, and Abby joined them.

“Let’s see where it thinks it’s safe,” said Cutter, leading the group after the creature.

The large creature lumbered through the forest, shoving aside trees and trampling grass as it tried its hardest to get away from the chaos behind it. Soon, it reached a glittering ball, hanging in mid-air in the middle of the forest, and disappeared straight through.

Breathing heavily as she came to a stop, Claudia looked to Cutter. “Where’s it gone?” she panted.

“Home,” Cutter replied, simply.

**~X~**

Dawn was breaking, and Sofi stood in front of the glittering ball. She had barely moved for several hours, just staring at the shimmering shards of floating glass. She had tried to touch them at one point, but almost fallen through and had been dragged back by Stephen.

“My pen,” said Connor. He stood behind Sofi, also admiring the ball. The pen in his hand was a metal one and it tugged out of his grasp, flying straight at the ball and disappearing with a chime.

Sofi scoffed quietly, a small smile coming to her lips.

“That explains the compass going crazy,” said Connor.

“What could cause a magnetic field so powerful?” Cutter asked.

“Maybe it’s an alien spaceship,” Connor joked.

Sofi turned to face him. “What? So you believe in aliens but not monsters?” she asked.

“But aliens are real,” said Connor. “The government has proof. I mean, look at Area 51 and the whole Roswell cover-up.”

“Monsters are real, too,” Sofi argued. “To a canary, a cat is a monster.”

Connor shook his head. “But there is no proof that monsters have ever existed,” he said. “Other than your usual run of the mill psycho’s that chop up innocent people, or kill for the pleasure of killing. But actual, physical monsters? No way.”

Sofi shook her head and turned back to the anomaly. “Normal magnetic fields are created by magnets,” she said. “But unless there is a giant magnetic around here, that are also invisible, I’d say we’re dealing with something entirely foreign.”

“Foreign as in terrorist?” Claudia asked.

“Not necessarily,” said Sofi. “I mean, these shards look like broken glass. Like from a mirror, but they aren’t reflective. Also, the light effect doesn’t even seem natural. There’s no sun around here, but yet it glows like a kaleidoscope.”

Cutter shared an amused smile with Claudia. Despite Sofi having been talking to them, her eyes had never left the anomaly, and the look on her face was that of pure fascination.

 “Everything we’ve seen about the animals so far is consistent with vertebrates that last appeared in the fossil record hundreds of millions of years ago,” said Cutter, turning his attention to Claudia.

“You mean they’re like creatures from the past,” said Claudia, trying to follow what Cutter was saying.

“No, I mean they _are_ creatures from the past,” Cutter said, shaking his head.

The anomaly chimed again as Connor unleashed another metallic object through it. He grinned childishly, before realising the severity of the situation.

“Oh, that was my front door key,” Connor winced.

Sofi chuckled in amusement. “Way to go, genius,” she mocked.

“Cutter, we have to go now,” Claudia said, lowering her voice.

“You’ve got your own experts?” Cutter asked.

“They didn’t see what you saw and they don’t know what you know,” said Claudia, shaking her head. She eyed the anomaly warily and then walked away.

Sofi looked around and smiled faintly at Cutter.

“What?” Cutter asked, walking over to stand beside her. “Another theory?”

“No, not really,” said Sofi, shaking her head. She looked back at the anomaly and sighed. “Just thinking that if this does turn out to be what we think it is… then my thesis is down the drain.”

Cutter chuckled and placed a solid hand on her shoulder. “Not necessarily,” he said. “This could be a scientific breakthrough. If you play your cards right, you could very well get the chance to experience first hand what it was like to live back there.”

Sofi rolled her eyes with a scoff. “Right. Like Home Office is going to sanction an expedition through this thing,” she said. “Much less let allow a student to conduct research purposes. They’ll turn this into a cover-up, it’s inevitable.”

“Are you coming to Home Office with us?” Nick asked.

“I was kind of hoping that I could stay here,” said Sofi. “I want to get some pictures of the anomaly, and maybe conduct a small investigation of my own? I promise I won’t go through unless I have permission.”

Nick smiled and nodded. “Alright. Just… be careful,” he warned.

“Thanks, Professor,” Sofi said.

Sofi spotted Stephen approaching from over Cutter’s shoulder, smiled at him and then walked away. She spotted an older man in his mid-40s with short brown hair, blue eyes, and carrying a case full of glass bottles, beakers, and surgical gloves and headed in his direction.

“Hey, Dad,” said Sofi, popping up beside the older man.

Christopher Wyatt didn’t look surprised as he turned to his daughter. He merely smiled and squeezed her shoulder. “How did your appointment go this morning?” he asked. “Did you find the answers you were looking for?”

“Not exactly,” said Sofi, eyeing the anomaly. “But I may have found the next best thing.”

**~X~**

At the sound of an engine cutting out, Christopher Wyatt looked up from the sample he had been inspecting under the microscope and spotted his daughter’s Zoology professor returning from Home Office, alongside him was Home Office agent, Claudia Brown, and the Zookeeper, Abby Maitland.

Claudia said something to Cutter and then wandered away, over to the Captain of the Special Forces unit Tom Ryan. The two spoke in low whispers, each one glancing around and, occasionally, looking over to where Cutter was standing with Miss Maitland and Mr Temple.

“What’s more interesting that soil samples?” Sofi asked, popping up beside her father. She added a second set of glass jars on the table beside the others, and Christopher saw that they were carefully labelled - Anomaly soil samples - and he guessed they were from the area beneath the anomaly.

Christopher shook his head and looked back at Sofi. Her red hair, which had earlier been around her shoulders, was now pulled back into a high ponytail with two bangs framing her face, her bright blue eyes shone with the same excitement and fascination they always did when she found something interesting.

“Nearly out of your teens and you still can’t keep yourself clean,” Christopher teased.

Sofi looked down and laughed as she noticed the dirt stains on the knees of her denim jeans, she leaned over and brushed at them, but it did very little to remove the stains. “What can I say?” she asked, looking back up at her father. “I’ve always been a ‘get-my-hands-dirty” kind of girl.”

Christopher chuckled and nodded. “True, and that’s the best way to be as a scientist,” he agreed.

“Oh, the Professor’s back,” said Sofi, finally spotting Cutter. “I’m going to go see what the Home Office had to say. I’ll be right back. Don’t solve this anomaly mystery without me, yeah?”

“I make no promises,” Christopher called. He watched over his shoulder as she walked away, and noticed how the Professor seemed to brighten at her approach. He could only guess that the Professor’s interest in his daughter was strictly professional, and maybe he was curious as to how such an ambitious girl was only nineteen; he knew he did, and he was her father.

“Wyatt!”

Christopher snapped his attention around and onto the young blond male opposite him. Charlie Shepherd was a young, up and coming Home Office scientist. He was also the youngest member on Christopher’s team, he had a lot to learn, but he was big-headed and arrogant.

“Do you have those samples I asked for, Shepherd?” Christopher asked.

Charlie set the samples he had collected on the table. “I don’t see what the fauna around here is going to tell you,” he said. “But, whatever.”

“I want to see if there are any changes surrounding the anomaly,” Christopher answered. “It could help us to understand the anomalies better.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” Charlie muttered.

Christopher glanced up at the boy and noticed that his attention was no longer on the work at hand, but rather had drifted across the area and was watching Sofi.

“So, that’s your daughter, huh?” Charlie asked, grinning.

Christopher glared at the younger bloke. “Look all you want, Shepherd,” he said. “But Sofi is already married to her work.”

“Doesn’t mean I can’t try,” said Charlie. “I’m sure I can get her to reconsider.”

“I can guarantee that she won’t give you the time of day,” said Christopher.

“Why, because her father says so?” Charlie asked. “What is she, some kind of daddy’s girl?”

Christopher bit back a growl and turned his attention back to his work, but Charlie kept on talking, and with each word was getting further under Christopher’s skin. The things this kid was saying, and about his _daughter_ no less.

“Shepherd!” Christopher finally snapped. “Back off! Now, get on with your work or you can head back to the office!”

Charlie stiffened and, with one final look at Sofi, turned and walked away. Christopher heard him mutter something under his breath, but he wasn’t exactly sure what it was, and he was pretty sure he didn’t _want_ to know, either.

Christopher made a quick mental note to warn Sofi about Charlie later and returned to his work.

Meanwhile, Sofi was staring slack-jawed at Cutter.

Cutter chuckled and snapped his fingers in front of his student’s face. “Come back, Sofi,” he said, lightly shaking her shoulder. “Come on…”

Sofi shook her head and blinked. “Sorry, but I think you just said that _I_ … Sofi Wyatt… had permission to go through the anomaly with you to get scientific samples from the Permian Era?” she said.

“I did,” Cutter said, nodding.

“Somebody pinch me because this is a dream,” Sofi said, covering her mouth with her hand. She squeezed her eyes shut tight and lightly pinched the skin on her arm between her fingers. She yelped at the spasm of pain and then grinned.

She wasn’t dreaming.

This was real.

_She_ was going through an anomaly.

**~X~**

“I should be the one going,” Christopher said, packing a bag full of supplies. “You’re much too young.”

Sofi rolled her eyes and took out the supplies her father had just packed into her bag. “Dad,” she said, short but sweetly. “I’m going for an hour, two tops. I don’t need this much equipment. Plus, I’m nineteen-years-old.”

“But this isn’t like some sleepover at Samantha’s, Sofi,” said Christopher. “There are proper monsters on the other side of that thing.”

“They aren’t monsters,” Sofi said. “Monsters are cold and cruel. These are just animals, some of them are part of our own DNA line. Mammals.”

Christopher sighed and stared at his daughter. “There is nothing I can say to make you not go, is there?” he asked.

“Nope,” said Sofi. She closed her bag and threw it over her shoulder. “Dad, I am only going to get samples, alright? I’m not going on a holiday, I’m not moving there permanently. I am going to for a short period of time, with Professor Cutter, and I am coming home.”

Christopher released another breath and looked down at the table separating him and his daughter. “Okay,” he said, although he still sounded unsure. “Okay! But I’m still going to worry until you come back.”

“I wouldn’t expect anything less from you, Dad,” Sofi said, smiling. She looked over to the medical tent were Cutter was being checked over, and then turned back to her father. “The medics say I am good to go. I’ll get checked over again when I come through, alright?”

“Oh, I know you will,” said Christopher. “Even if I have to drag you to the hospital kicking and screaming.”

Sofi laughed.

“Miss Wyatt?”

Sofi and Christopher looked around as the Captain of the SAS approached the research tent. He was armed and ready for whatever awaited them on the other side of the anomaly. He looked to be around mid-thirties with short sandy hair, and blue eyes.

“My name’s Captain Ryan. We’re ready to leave,” the Captain said, holding out his hand.

Sofi smiled and slipped her tiny hand into his palm. “Nice to meet you,” she said. “Call me Sofi. This is my dad, Christopher,” she added, gesturing to his father beside her.

Christopher shook Ryan’s hand and then turned to Sofi. He opened his mouth, to remind her to be careful, but she beat him to it.

“I will be extra careful,” said Sofi. She reached up and kissed her father’s cheek and then stepped closer to Ryan. “I’ll see you soon, Dad.”

With a sigh, Christopher watched his daughter walk towards the anomaly and then disappear through.

**~X~**

Sofi turned on the balls of her feet, trying her hardest to take in the sights around her. It was some form of the desert, but with black sand instead of yellow. The sun had reached its highest point in the sky, making the air humid and warm, but there was also a light breeze that rustled the leaves of the many trees that littered the landscape.

“Wow…” Professor Cutter breathed. He had released Rex, the Coelurosauravus that Ben Trent had found in the Forest of Dean, and the little lizard was flying around in the area.

“I don’t believe this,” Sofi said. The sun was so hot that beads of sweat had started to form over her brow, and was running down her back from her neck.

Ryan knelt beside the anomaly, depositing the bags he had with him on the ground and rifling through them. Sofi crept closer to see that he had packed more than enough ammunition to supply a small army.

“Planning for the apocalypse?” Sofi asked.

“These are dangerous times,” said Ryan, standing up and towering over her. “Literally.”

Sofi’s gaze flitted around the area. “Well, I don’t see any dangerous creatures nearby,” she said. “And, I know from experience, that if we stay downwind from them they won’t pick up our scent and come investigate. _Besides_ , we aren’t here to interfere with prehistoric life, and if you kill a creature back here, who knows what kind of consequences it will have back in our time.”

“It’s my job to protect you and the Professor,” said Ryan, hefting his assault rifle onto his shoulder. “I intend to do my job.”

“And I respect that,” said Sofi. “But killing these creatures is not the answer. You could be doing more harm than good.”

Ryan watched as she turned away and wandered back over towards the anomaly. He then turned his attention to the Professor as he started to walk away. “Where are you going?” he called.

“Give me one hour,” Cutter replied, whirling around and facing the Captain. “Just one hour on my own. I’ve got a radio,” he added as Ryan looked unsure. “Sofi, don’t wander too far.”

Sofi gave a salute and turned her back again. She pulled her bag from over her head and set it down beside her, rummaging around inside for a test tube. She filled it with a moderate amount of sand and capped it, sliding it back into her bag.

“I need plant specimens,” Sofi said, turning to Ryan. “Am I alright to go over there?” she pointed to the woodland area nearby.

“I suppose. If you remember to stay within visual range,” said Ryan.

Sofi rolled her eyes and grabbed her bag as she walked away. She reached inside and removed two test tubes, plucking several leaves from a tree as she grew closer.

Glancing over her shoulder, Sofi spotted Ryan watching her from afar. She rolled her eyes and reached up to pluck two more leaves from the branch, her fingers had barely brushed the twig when a chirping came from higher up.

Craning her neck, Sofi smiled as she spotted another Coelurosauravus peered down at her from amongst the foliage. “Hello,” she said, softly. She knew this creature wasn’t Rex, as the patterns up and down his back were different, and the crest on its head was much shorter.

This Coelurosauravus was female.

The Coelurosauravus chirped and reared back its head. It cocked its head to the side, and the beak moved into what Sofi guessed was a kind of smile.

Reaching forward, Sofi brushed her fingers against the Coelurosauravus as it jumped down from its branch and landed on one just above her.

The Coelurosauravus purred as Sofi petted it.

Sofi giggled as the creature twisted its head, trying to get as much affection from her as possible.

As she interacted with the Coelurosauravus, Sofi heard a roar and jumped. She looked around but found that she couldn’t see anything. Besides, she was so far into the trees that it would’ve been hard for anything short of a small creature to find her. A large predator may have been able to sniff her out, but it couldn’t get to her until she was out on the open plains again.

Returning her attention to the Coelurosauravus, Sofi paused as her gaze saw something through the branches ahead. She frowned and ducked under a branch, pushing herself through the undergrowth and coming out on the edge of what appeared to be a camp.

“Oh no,” Sofi breathed, her eyes skimming over the broken brambles, the synthetic white tent, and the briefcases that littered the ground.

“Miss Wyatt?” Ryan’s voice called, and Sofi heard the snapping of twigs and rustling of leaves behind her. “Which part of stay within visual range did you not understand?” he asked once he broke out of the trees and stopped beside Sofi.

Sofi looked up at him.

Ryan frowned at the look on her face. “What?” he asked, looking around him. He half expected to find a predator of some kind, and his hand tightened around his rifle in anticipation. Instead, his gaze fell on the campsite Sofi had found.

“You should get the Professor,“ said Sofi. She looked around at Ryan as she stepped further into the campsite. “He’ll want to see this.”

“Me?” Ryan asked.

“Yes, you,” Sofi nodded. “You’re the Captain of the SAS. You’re the one with the assault rifle, and you’re the one who said that you were here to protect us. So, _you_ are the one that needs to get the Professor.”

Ryan stared at the teenager. “What about you?” he asked. “I’m not about to leave you here alone.”

“I’m not alone,” said Sofi, nodding at the tree behind Ryan. “I have an entire family of Coelurosauravus watching my back. Now, there’s no recorded evidence that suggests that they were social creatures, but scientists do believe that they are closely related to modern-day squirrels in the sense that they act like squirrels do, hopping from tree to tree looking for food. I’m also fairly certain that if a predator comes within distance of this tree or any tree that they call home, they will let off a signal to alert other Coelurosauravus in the area.”

“You’re going to put your life in the hands of lizards?” Ryan asked.

Sofi shrugged. “It’s better than dragging me out into the open where a predator could pick us off one-by-one,” she said.

Ryan considered her for a moment and then sighed. “Fine,” he reluctantly agreed. “But don’t wander off.”

“Yes, sir,” said Sofi, saluting him again. She missed the glare he shot her as she turned her back, and started to investigate the area looking for more evidence of human incursions, but also collecting her own scientific samples.

As she worked, Sofi failed to realise she had wandered away from the campsite and towards the open plains. She could hear rustling in the distance and looked up to find herself at the bottom of a rather large dune. She glanced behind her and then venture up the hill, pausing at the top as she looked out over the vast desert.

Herds of Scutosaurus’ grazed on roots and berries that had fallen from the bushes, watching the sidelines, but also basking in the afternoon sun, was a large reptile with a jaw full of teeth and a massive sail on its back.

“Dimetrodon,” Sofi whispered in awe. Ever since she had been old enough to research these types of animals, she had always been fascinated with the Dimetrodon. Granted, she was fascinated with any kind of prehistoric creature, but a Dimetrodon had always been her favourite.

Suddenly, the ground rumbled and Sofi stumbled into a rock. She hissed as her hand grazed a sharp edge and started to bleed. Looking up, Sofi’s eyes widened as an enormous Gorgonopsid lumbered around at the bottom of the dune. It sniffed the air and Sofi cursed inwardly as she realised she was no longer downwind from the creatures.

Ducking behind a large rock, Sofi reached into her bag and pulled out her scarf. She had been wearing it that morning but had taken it off throughout the day. She wrapped it carefully around her hand and used her teeth to tighten it. At least the creature couldn’t smell her blood.

Peering over the top of the rock, Sofi watched as the Gorgonopsid sniffed the bottom of the dune and then turned its large head up towards her. She held her breath, silently praying that it wouldn’t start the ascent, and luckily, it didn’t. Instead, the Gorgonopsid turned its head and started to head in the direction Sofi had come.

It was following her scent trail back to the old campsite.

_Shit_.

Cutter and Ryan were back there.

Sucking in a breath, Sofi rushed down the dune and followed the Gorgonopsid back to the campsite. It sniffed around the debris, trampled over the tent and knocked a briefcase aside, roaring in frustration as it failed to get the contents. In the end, it roared, and stormed away, leaving a tree full of chirping Coelurosauravus, and a shocked teenager in its wake.

Breathing hard, Sofi jumped as a hand landed on her shoulder. She whipped around and found Nick standing at her back. “Oh thank god!” she whispered.

“What happened?” Nick asked. “Are you okay? You look terrified.”

“There was a Gorgonopsid,” said Sofi. “It followed my scent back here, and I panicked knowing he had come to find you to show you this.” She waved her hand at the campsite behind her.

Ryan furrowed his brow. “A scent trail?” he asked. “You moved, didn’t you? Especially after I specifically told you not too!”

“I’m collecting samples,” Sofi argued. “I can’t do that if I remain in one place! I was just scouting ahead, sue me for being curious.”

Nick squeezed Sofi’s shoulder and bypassed her, kneeling beside the campsite. He flipped open the briefcase that the Gorgonopsid had kicked aside and pulled out a chocolate bar from inside.

“Someone has been here before us,” said Nick, looking up at his companions. “Sofi, you said you scouted ahead, any signs that they remained or headed back?”

Sofi shook her head. She was too enthralled by the creatures she had seen to notice anything more.

“We should look for survivors,” said Nick, dropping the chocolate bar back into the case. “Just to be safe.”

“But this camp is old,” said Ryan. “Really old. If there were survivors there is a chance they are dead by now.”

Sofi turned to the Captain. “We should still look for evidence,” she said. “Any clues that could tell us who was here. Maybe there are families out there looking for closure. We could give them that.”

Nick nodded in agreement.

Ryan pinched the bridge of his nose but relented. The trio spread out, with Ryan keeping both Sofi and Cutter within his line of site at all times. He wasn’t so nervous about Cutter wandering off, the Professor was a grown man that could probably take care of himself, whereas Sofi was only nineteen. Sure, she was of age, but she was still a child.

“Guys,” Sofi called out from somewhere amongst the trees. “Over here!”

Ryan and Cutter headed towards her voice and found her kneeling beside a shallow grave, submerged in which was the skeletal remains of a body.

“Here,” said Ryan, plunging his hand into the gravel beside Sofi and pulling a camera from beneath. He handed it to Nick.

Sofi looked up at her Professor as she heard him take in a sharp breath. “Professor?” she asked, quietly.

“It’s H.C.,” Cutter said, softly. “It’s Helen Cutter.”

Sofi’s gaze flickered back to the skeleton.

“Is it her?” Ryan asked.

Sofi shrugged. “I don’t know,” she answered. “I count twelve ribs. And since both men and women have twelve ribs, your guess is as good as mine.”

“So this could be her?” Ryan asked.

Sofi nodded and reached across the skeleton, wiping aside more dirt and gravel from the bones. She was looking for any evidence to prove that this person was a man or female, something that would put her Professor’s mind at ease.

“How did they die?” Ryan asked.

“It looks like they were attacked by a sharp object,” said Sofi, running her finger across a deep niche in the collar bone. “But I can’t be sure. The bones have been exposed to the elements for years, and it looks like scavengers have been here, too.”

Nick clutched the camera tightly in his hands. He had tried checking to see if there was any power left in it, maybe just enough for him to search its a hard to drive for evidence that his wife had been here.

“Sofi, any indication that this could be her?” Nick asked, giving up on the camera and looking down at his student.

“Well, it’s not just the ribs that can tell the difference between male and female,” said Sofi.  She brushed aside the gravel around the navel area, exposing the pelvic bone and examining it. She run her finger across the rough texture of the bone and measured the width using a measuring tape she had found in the bottom of her bag.

Nick watched. His breathing laboured in expectation.

“It’s good news, at least for you, Professor,” said Sofi, pulling back and standing up. She turned to her Professor, a slight smile on her face. “The pelvic bone is small and narrow, meaning it’s that of a male.”

The relief on Nick’s face was instantaneous.

“It’s time to go,” said Ryan, checking his watch.

“Yeah, I can’t help that. I’ve got to find my wife,” said Cutter, walking away from the grave.

Sofi stood and turned quickly to him. The plan had been simple - three go through the anomaly, as long as three came back.

“We have to go,” Ryan insisted.

“I’m staying,” Cutter said.

Sofi shouldered her bag, making sure her samples were secured for the journey home. The test tubes had been locked inside a padded case at the bottom of her bag, ensuring that they wouldn’t clash together and smash.

_Thud._

Looking up, quickly, Sofi gasped as she saw Nick on the ground and Ryan standing over him, pistol in hand. “What the hell?” she cried, running over and falling to her knees. She inspected the welt on the back of Cutter’s head and looked up at Ryan.

“I told you,” said Ryan. “I’m here to protect you.”

“By pistol whipping?” Sofi asked.

“He’ll be fine.”

“You don’t know that.”

“It’s a perfectly safe procedure,” said Ryan. “He may have a headache when he wakes up, but he’ll be alive.”

Sofi shook her head. “The back of the head and neck is a vulnerable part of the body in several species,” she said. “Why do you think many predators aim for that part when they attack? If they manage to snap the spinal cord of their prey then they have an easy meal.”

“It’s a good thing I’m not a fearsome predator then, isn’t it?” Ryan asked.

“No, you’re not,” said Sofi, shaking her head. She stood and rounded on Ryan. Despite the fact that he was a foot taller than her, she still stood her ground. “But, if you had hit him with a certain amount of force, you could’ve easily snapped his spine.”

Ryan stepped around Sofi and stooped down to look Cutter’s arms around his neck, and then lifted him up and over his shoulder. The professor was considered a dead weight now he was unconscious, and Ryan found that he couldn’t carry him and fire his rifle if they ran into danger.

“Have you finished ranting at me, or would you like to continue?” Ryan asked, turning back to Sofi.

“Do you even care that you could’ve paralysed him?” Sofi asked.

Ryan sighed. “Miss Wyatt, I assure you, no harm will come to the Professor,” he said. “But, if you do insist on continuing to rant at me, can you at least do it while we return to the anomaly. You were supposed to have returned by now, I’m sure they’re worried.”

Sofi clamped her mouth shut as Ryan walked around her and headed back towards the campsite. She hurried after him, falling into step on his right as they navigated back across the open plains.

**~X~**

Christopher checked his watch… not once, not twice, but three times. He had been doing the same repetitive task for the last ten minutes, each time looking back up at the anomaly. It had been two hours since his daughter had gone through the gateway to a prehistoric past to collect samples of plants, soil, and water. She had been a part of the three-person operation, along with SAS Captain, Tom Ryan and Zoology Professor, Nick Cutter.

“Where is she?” Christopher murmured, his eyes scanning the anomaly for any signs. Connor Temple had already announced that the magnetic field was weakening, meaning the anomaly was on the brink of disappearing. It had managed to last this long, but neither of them knew how long it would remain open, or if it would ever open again once it did close.

Janice Morgan, another scientist working underneath Christopher, wandered over and placed her hand on his shoulder. “I’m sure she’s alright,” she said, soothingly.

“What if she’s not?” Christopher asked. “What if she is hurt? What if she’s become separated? Or what if….?”

“You need to stop thinking like that, Christopher,” Janice said. “You’ll drive yourself crazy. From what you’ve told me about Sofi, she seems like a bright young girl who can take care of herself. If she is hurt, she’ll manage, and if she’s become separated, I’m sure she’ll do everything within her power to find a way home.”

Despite Janice's words, Christopher didn’t relax. He knew how smart his daughter was, and how efficient she could be. He knew that Janice spoke the truth and that if this anomaly did close, Sofi would find a way back to him. But the fact of the matter still remained. His daughter was on the other side of an anomaly, and there was nothing he could do to help her from becoming stranded.

“Look!”

Christopher looked up at the yell of Zookeeper, Abby Maitland. She was pointing at the anomaly, which was shimmering brightly.

“Something’s happening!” Connor said, trying to venture closer for a better look. He was held back by a SAS soldier.

“It looks like something is trying to come through,” said Charlie. He, too, was watching the anomaly.

The anomaly shimmered again and a body suddenly fell through. The person squeaked as they were propelled forward, and landed in the outstretched arms of a young SAS soldier.

“Sofi!” Christopher yelled, recognising the mop of the redhead. He pushed his way through the SAS guard and took his daughter from the soldier that had caught her. “Oh, thank god, Sofi!”

Sofi chuckled and hugged her father tightly. She could tell from the way his voice wavered to the strength he squeezed her as he hugged her, that he had been scared. “I’m sorry, Dad,” she apologised. “I didn’t realise the time, and things were hectic. I’m really sorry for worrying you.”

Christopher shook his head as he held her at arm's length, and gave her the once over. “Forget it,” he said, drawing her back in. “I’m just glad you’re alright. You are alright, aren’t you?” he asked, spotting her bandaged hand.

“I’m fine,” Sofi said, shaking her head. “It’s just a small abrasion. Nothing to fret over. I’ll get it checked out soon.”

“What was it like?” Christopher asked.

Sofi looked up at her dad, a feeling of wondrous emotion welled inside her. Her eyes sparkled with childlike wonder, and she beamed. “Like nothing you could image,” she said, laughing. “All those stories, and everything I have read or seen on TV, it doesn’t come _close_ to the truth.”

Christopher chuckled and drew Sofi back into a hug.

When they parted for the third and final time, both father and daughter turned to the sound of a loud roar coming from inside the trees. The anomaly had closed, not long after Cutter and Ryan had returned, but the sound was coming from the other side of the forest.

“Oh, My God…” Charlie, the young scientist said, spotting a hulking moving mass in the shadows.

“RUN!” Janice screamed as the Gorgonopsid burst out into the clearing.

There was complete chaos.

SAS soldiers ran towards the charging creature, one of them got too close and tossed into the air, landing with a crunch near where Sofi had taken refuge. She rushed out from behind her hiding spot and carefully dragged the fallen soldier behind another tree, checking his injuries.

“How bad is it?” the soldier asked. His breathing was laboured from the pain and shock of what had happened, but he was holding onto consciousness.

Sofi shook her head. “I don’t know,” she said. “This,” she pointed at his hip bone, “could be broken, or it could’ve just popped out. But, I’m not a doctor, and I’m in no position to be trying to put it back in.”

“It hurts when I breathe,” said the soldier.

“That sounds like either a broken or bruised rib cage,” said Sofi. “All in all, I’d say you were quite lucky.”

“Lucky? I’ve just been tossed through the air by a dinosaur!”

“It’s not a dinosaur,” said Sofi, shaking her head. “And besides, at least you're alive, yeah?”

The soldier fell silent and lay his head back on the ground. He watched as Sofi looked up, and out into the clearing, where there was still gunshots being fired.

“My names Jayden,” said the soldier.

“Sofi.”

“Well, Sofi, it’s nice to meet you,” said Jayden.

A hushed silence fell over the clearing, and Sofi looked up curiously. The Gorgonopsid lay on the forest floor, in front of Cutter’s truck, and Stephen stood beside it wielding an assault rifle. All over the woods, scientists, SAS soldiers, and other civilians alike were starting to appear.

“Did we miss the action?” Jayden asked, trying to sit up.

Sofi carefully steadied him and waved her hand above her head. “Medic!” she called. Two medics headed for her and quickly called for a third to bring a stretcher.

As the medics fussed over Jayden, Sofi crept out of the trees and approached the Gorgonopsid. It had three bullet wounds in its flank, and it looked like its back legs had caved in due to the stress of its damaged body.

“So much for not killing these creatures,” said Ryan, appearing beside Sofi and looking down at the Gorgonopsid.

Sofi shot him a glare and walked away.

**~X~**

Later that evening at home, Sofi dropped her bag off onto the table and wandering over to the evidence board she had set up between her two windows. Instead of living in a flat, she had opted for a loft where she had more space.

The main room was a combination of her living room, kitchen, and dining room, which had a white sofa, TV, various toys for Toby and Figaro, and then a long table near the high windows which was littered with an arrangement of papers, a microscope and a laptop.

Behind the table, on the wall between the two windows, was the evidence board that Sofi now stood in front of. She pinned the newspaper that Connor had used to lure Professor Cuter into the Forest of Dean yesterday morning and turned back to her home.

Toby snoozed on the sofa, his head just visible on the arm, as Figaro lay on top of the TV, his paw hanging over the side and his tail curled around him. Sofi smiled and looked down at her bag, reaching in and removing the small camera from its depths. She had taken it with her through the anomaly, and managed to snapshot a few images.

Scooping out the padded box that contained her samples, Sofi disappeared into the dark room she had converted out of a spare bedroom and flipped on the light. She didn’t have any photos that were in the process of being developed, so the light was fine. The room was full of images containing fauna, and various animals. Despite being a Zoology major, Sofi had always found photography fascinating and decided to do a minor course during her first year of University.

Removing the film from the camera, Sofi set about the preparation to develop the pictures later that evening and then left the darkroom for the second door in the hall. This door was locked by a thumbprint and coded lock; after putting in the key code, and scanning her thumb, Sofi stepped through into a lab.

She set her new samples off to the side and wandered around the room checking on the rest of her experiments. She used these experiments to write her essays and projects at University, a lot of her classmates and even some of her professors questioned her results, but she never let up on where she got them from.

Once satisfied with her earlier experiments, Sofi turned to her new samples and set about preparing them for examination. If the anomalies were gateways to the past, and she knew that they were, then maybe she could find a reason for them opening in the soil samples taken from both the Forest of Dean _and_ the anomaly site in the Permian.

And, if she could find that reason, maybe, just maybe, she could predict if and when it would happen again.

_One thing's for sure,_ Sofi thought as she added a small sample of soil to a slide and slipped it under a microscope. _This is just the beginning._


	2. Fatal Attraction

_ Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. _

Sofi whined as the consistent, yet annoying buzzing echoed throughout the room. She blinked her eyes open and looked around, taking a moment to allow herself to get used to her surroundings before realising she had actually fallen asleep in the lab. It wasn’t anything new; she fell asleep at her work station at least twice a week.

Sofi then noticed that the annoying buzzing was in fact her mobile as it moved feebly against the table. She checked the caller ID as she picked it up and saw it was Professor Cutter. Hitting the green button, Sofi lifted the phone to her ear.

“Hello?”

“ _You sound tired._ ”

“Fell asleep at my work station,” Sofi answered. She run a hand through her hair and slid from her seat. Her work from the previous night was spread all over the table, and after picking up a single piece of paper, Sofi remembered what she had been looking at - the results of her soil samples.

“ _I remember those days,_ ” Professor Cutter chuckled. “ _Trust me. I still do it now._ ”

Sofi smiled and collected the rest of her notes, arranging them in order and putting them away inside a folder she had already marked as ‘anomaly research’.

“ _Did you at least have a good sleep?”_

“Aside from the dull ache in my shoulders, yeah,” said Sofi, rolling her neck and hearing the muscles crackle. She winced and stretched, stifling a moan at the pleasurable feeling that spread through her body.

“ _Good. Because we may have another anomaly,_ ” said Professor Cutter.

Sofi perked up and turned towards the lab door. She opened it and sealed it tightly behind her, as she headed through the door ahead and out into her living room. Toby and Figaro were awake, and looked like they had been for a while.

“Do we have a location?” Sofi asked, walking through her living room and heading up the stairs to her bedroom. Living in a loft meant that her bedroom overlooked the rest of her house, meaning there was hardly any privacy, but she lived alone so it didn’t matter.

“ _How does Arsenal Station sound?_ ”

Sofi glanced at the clock to see it read 10:00am. “Sounds crowded,” she replied. “Do we have any details on the situation, or even a creature sighting?”

“ _No creature sighting as of yet,_ ” said Professor Cutter. “ _But, we could be dealing with a creature that is poisonous. Not allergic to anything, are you?_ ”

“No,” said Sofi. “But venom doesn’t necessarily work like that. You don’t have to be allergic to a poisonous creature to be affected.”

Cutter chuckled and Sofi smiled again.

“Do you want me to meet you at the Underground?” Sofi asked.

“ _If you can._ ” said Cutter.

Sofi nodded. “Give me… twenty-minutes?” she asked, after a brief pause. “I just need to freshen up and change clothes.”

“ _Sounds good. See you soon._ ”

Sofi hung up the phone and peeled off the clothes she had worn yesterday, since she hadn’t made it to bed last night she hadn’t changed. She tossed the shirt, jeans, and undergarments into the washing basket and rummaged around in her wardrobe for fresh, clean clothes.

Once satisfied with her black jersey short-sleeved scooped neck bodysuit, a pair of denim jeans, and black ankle boots, Sofi grabbed her phone, backpack, and rushed back downstairs. She quickly washed and brushed her teeth, before dragging a comb through her hair and rushing out the door, shouting a hurried ‘see you later, babies!’ to Toby and Figaro as she disappeared.

** ~X~ **

Sofi arrived at Arsenal Station in Aldwych just after Cutter and the others. She parked behind them and jumped out of her car, making her way over. “What did I miss?” she asked.

“Not much,” said Stephen. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Do I still look tired?” Sofi asked.

“Just a bit,” Stephen nodded.

Sofi smiled and rubbed her hand over her face. “I usually perk up after breakfast,” she said. “I skipped this morning because of how late i was waking up.”

“Here,” said Stephen, digging around in his pocket and withdrawing a breakfast bar. He handed it to Sofi.

“Are you sure?” Sofi asked.

Stephen nodded and turned to Cutter and Claudia. The pair had been discussing the protocol of Special Forces checking out the anomaly site ahead of the field team, stating that Lester wasn’t about to let Cutter have everything done his way.

Sofi had yet to meet this James Lester, and already she knew that their relationship was going to be a difficult one. He didn’t seem all too keen to have Professor Cutter on board with this ordeal, even though he was the only person she could think of that would’ve had any understanding of what was happening.

Biting into the breakfast bar, Sofi chewed and then swallowed. Her stomach grumbled in response and quickly rushed to digest the food. Within three bites, the bar was finished, and Sofi felt better than she had done two minutes ago.

“Where’s Connor?” Sofi asked Abby, finally noticing that they were a man down.

Abby shook her head and glanced away as a scream came over the radio in Claudia’s hand. The SAS were in trouble, but what kind was unknown.

“ _Withdraw!_ ” Ryan ordered over the radio. “ _We’re coming out!_ ”

No sooner had the order been given, did Ryan and his men appear at the station entrance. Sofi run over as she saw two soldiers supporting Jayden between them. Since his run-in with the Gorgonopsid last week, Sofi had thought he would take a break from his duties to give his hip and ribs a chance to heal.

“I thought you were taking time off,” said Sofi, turning Jayden’s head to the side so she could see the bite mark on his neck. It was a shallow wound made from, at her best guess, pincers. The area around the wound was red and inflamed, but it didn’t look like any venom had been injected into it.

“And leave you have all the fun?” Jayden asked. He grinned and the coughed violently. 

Sofi frowned as she left Jayden in the care of a paramedic and wandered over to where the others were talking with Ryan.

“They were like spiders, but with pincers, not fangs. Some of them over a metre long,” said the Captain, relaying what had happened in the underground. “Horrible little…”

“Look, tell me how you feel,” said Cutter, placing his hand on Ryan’s shoulder.

“Sick. My ears are ringing…”

“Is there any blurred vision?” he asked Ryan.

“No,” the Captain answered. “But there’s something else. The gunshots were too bright, like fireworks.”

“That’s classic signs of excess oxygen in the atmosphere,” said Stephen.

Sofi nodded. “It also explains the nausea and ringing ears,” she added. “There is too much oxygen for your body to handle.”

“A richer, more heavily oxygenated air must be seeping through from another anomaly,” said Nick. “But, we’re not talking about the Permian era any longer. This is much, much earlier.”

“How much earlier?” Claudia asked.

Cutter shrugged. “Maybe the Carboniferous, about 300 million years ago,” he explained. “We really need to see exactly what these creatures look like. I need to see this for myself.”

“One more thing,” said Sofi, catching Cutter’s arm as he tried to pass her. “The bite mark on Jayden’s neck. It’s inflamed, but there’s no venom in the wound. Whatever bit him isn’t poisonous.”

Cutter studied his student for a moment. “Are you sure?” he asked.

“As sure as I can be,” Sofi nodded. “From the description of these creatures it sounds like we’re dealing with a colony of Carboniferous Arachnid, possibly Mesothelae, aside from their size they’re pretty much harmless.”

“Harmless?” Ryan repeated.

Sofi looked quickly at him. “Like modern day spiders they only attack if they feel threatened,” she said. “Granted, the Underground isn’t their home, but they were just protecting themselves. They have a siege mentality, and when threatened, they use sheer numbers to ward off potential predators, which is why you were forced out. Sure, they acted aggressively, but wouldn’t you if strangers broke into your home?”

Ryan averted his gaze and rubbed the back of his neck. Sofi deflated and looked back at Cutter. She could understand Ryan’s need to protect his men, but she understood more about these creatures than most of the people present, their behaviour was justified, at least it was in her eyes.

“What do you need to be sure that these aren’t the creatures poisoning people?” Claudia asked.

“I need to see them,” said Sofi. “Up close.”

“You want to go down there?” Claudia asked. She looked and sounded hesitant.

“No,” said Sofi, shaking her head. “I _need_ too. Look, I get it, I’m just a kid, and you can’t risk me going down without permission from your bosses. But seeing these creatures in their own environment is going to help me narrow down my search filters later.”

Claudia sighed and nodded. “Okay, go,” she said.

Cutter placed his hand on Sofi’s back and herded her towards the gazebo. “Let’s get some gear,” he said, as Stephen and Abby followed behind.

** ~X~ **

Ryan watched as Sofi slipped the sleeves of her uniform up over her arms and shoulders until it hung loosely on her frame. He swallowed and looked away as she turned in his direction, buttoning up the front of the suit and smiling at Abby beside her. He couldn’t hear what the two women were saying, but the amused looks on their faces was enough to give him a general idea.

Shaking his head, Ryan lifted a glock from the boot of his Sudan and walked over to the gazebo where the field team were preparing. He passed Sofi and Abby, catching a small snippet of their conversation, and then headed over to Cutter and Stephen.

“Ah,” said Cutter, as Ryan handed him the Glock. He shared a hesitant look with Stephen and then shook his head. “Nah, we need torches. The most powerful you can find.”

“Take night-vision goggles,” Ryan said.

“Vision isn’t the issue,” said Stephen, shaking his head.

Sofi looked up as Claudia passed through the gazebo and approached Cutter. She wandered over, intrigued by what the young civil servant had to say.

“Well, the pest controller died a few minutes ago,” said Claudia. “They’re running tests on our casualty now.”

“Pest controller?” Sofi repeated. “How much did I actually miss?”

“I did try calling you about the pest controller,” said Stephen. “You didn’t answer.”

“I was sleeping!” Sofi cried.

Stephen chuckled.

“A pest controller was bitten earlier this morning in the Underground,” said Cutter. “There were no obvious marks on him, except for a puncture mark on his neck. The hospital ran tests and the results came back with poison in his system.”

Sofi looked thoughtful and then whipped out her phone. It wasn’t fully charged, but there was enough battery in it for her to run a quick search.

“What are you doing?” Abby asked.

“It’s a quick diagnostic,” said Sofi. “I’ll be right back.” She left the gazebo and headed over to her car.

Cutter watched her for a few seconds before turning back to Ryan. “Uh, torches?” he asked.

Ryan nodded and led Claudia and Cutter away, leaving Abby and Stephen alone.

** ~X~ **

Abby looked up as Sofi joined her at the entrance to the Underground. “What did you diagnostic turn out?” she asked.

“Not much,” said Sofi. “From what I can tell there isn’t many creatures in the Carboniferous that are poisonous. Sure, they’re all mammoth sized, but that’s because of the high levels of oxygen in the air. I’ve left the diagnostic running, it’s churning out possible predators that could’ve bitten the pest controller, but I’m not holding my breath.”

Abby nodded and followed Stephen and Cutter down the escalators, which had been switched off given the emergency situation, and out onto the abandoned platform of Aldwych. The place had been blocked off back in 1994 when the cost of renovating the lifts back up to the surface was considered too high for the government to pull through.

Armed with only torches, the field team made the long walk along the train line and up to the section that the SAS had already cleared. Behind the door, Cutter shone a beam of light onto the ground and, with a squeal, a creature scuttled away.

“That’s what I thought, they’re sensitive to the light,” said Cutter.

“That definitely sounds like a Carboniferous Arachnid,” said Sofi. She was wedged between Abby and Stephen in the tiny corridor separating the bunker from the tunnel. “They prefer dark and damp places, and would even abandon their own territory in order to flee from any light sources.”

“How do you know all this stuff?” Abby asked.

Sofi glanced back at the blonde. “It’s my job to research,” she said. “Plus, I like reading.”

“Is there anything you won’t research or read?”

“Not that I can think of,” said Sofi. “I’ll learn just about anything. You never know when it could come in handy.”

Abby pursed her lips and inclined her head in agreement. She hadn’t thought of it like that before.

Pushing through into the bunker, Cutter shone his torch and watched as the spiders fled from the beam. Burrowing under beds, or scurrying up the walls into the rafters, anywhere that could provide them with darkness.

“I don’t like this,” said Cutter.

Turning quickly to her left, Sofi shone her torch at the top bed, and watched as a spider lurched away, dropping off the side and landing with a thud on the stone floor.

“Ooh!” Sofi winced hurrying around to the other side, but the spider had already scuttled away before she had a chance to shine her torch at it again.

“Cutter,” Abby called from the other side of the room. She stood in front of a hole in a fence, staring at something just beyond. Cutter approached her and passed through the fence, closely followed by Stephen.

Sofi shone her torch around the first bunker as she followed them, the spiders seemed to avoid her as she passed, even the ones outside the beam’s reach.

“What’s happening to us?” Cutter whispered.

Stopping at the fence, Sofi glanced into the second bunker and found the anomaly hovering just off the floor, its glittering effect casting shadows on the back wall. She smiled and felt her breath catch, no matter how dangerous these things were they were still mesmerising and beautiful.

“This has been gnawed,” said Stephen, running his finger across the broken metal fence. He pointed at a few scuff marks and looked to Sofi.

Taking out her Nikon camera, Sofi snapped a few images of the marks. They didn’t look like normal bite marks, and definitely not human ones, either.

“What could’ve done this?” Sofi wondered quietly. The spiders were out of the question for sure, their pincers wouldn’t have had enough force behind them to shred through the metal fencing, and if they had the marks left behind would've been a cleaner cut that they were. The marks on the fence looked like it had been chewed at more than once.

Feeling something brush against her leg, Abby jumped and dropped her torch with a loud clatter. She smiled, apologetically at the others and turned to pick it up. She paused in her crouch as something caught her attention, slithering behind a couple of boxes at the back of the room.

“Guys,” Abby whispered.

Pausing in her inspection of the fence, Sofi turned to the sound of a light trilling and scuttling of many legs against stone. She turned to the back of the room and her eyes widened as the head of what appeared to be another giant bug appeared directly in front of her air.

Eyes wide and mouth open slightly, Sofi backed up into Stephen. Her eyes trained directly onto the armoured-plated bug.

“What is it?” Abby asked.

“I don’t know,” Stephen answered.

“It’s not a spider,” Cutter added.

Sofi swallowed hard as the head withdrew from her field of vision. “I can’t remember the scientific name for it,” she said. “But, I think it’s a giant centipede.”

“Centipede?” Abby repeated.

“It’s got an armoured plated body,” said Sofi. “With antennas on its head. They use them to detect minute vibrations in air.”

“Could it be what killed the pest controller?”

Sofi shrugged. “I don’t know,” she answered. “Remember when you asked me if there was something I wouldn’t consider reading or researching?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, I lied,” said Sofi. “Centipedes freak me out. Giant Centipedes?” She shuddered in revulsion. “I got to get out of here!”

Cutter glanced at his student and nodded towards the fence. “Go,” he said. “As quickly as you can.”

Sofi nodded and scurried towards the fence. She had barely made it past when something struck out at her, causing her to scream and duck into the first bunker as fast as she could.

“Sofi!” Cutter called, following after the creature that had attacked his student. He found Sofi huddled against the wall; her eyes closed as the centipede reared three quarters of his body up off the floor and hovered over the terrified teenager.

“Hey!” Stephen yelled, grabbing a large container from beside him. He swung it at the centipede and smashed it against its jaws as it turned to investigate his yell.

The creature reared back and slithered away from Sofi, taking refugee behind another stack of boxes.

“Are you okay?” Abby asked Sofi.

Sofi nodded, timidly.

“ _Cutter, what’s going on?_ ” Claudia asked over the comms.

“There’s another creature down here. But don’t worry, we’re coming out,” Cutter told her.

Sofi took a deep breath and headed for the door leading out into the tunnel. She was desperate to get out of the bunker, but she also knew she had to be careful to not let the centipede lose in her desperation.

“Stephen. Stephen, can you see it?” Cutter called. He was still in the second bunker, cut off from the others.

“No,” Stephen answered.

“Stephen!” Abby yelled, spotting the centipede on the ceiling above him.

Stephen stepped back, his gaze never wavering from the giant insect. A shrill whistle cut through the air and the trio looked over at Cutter. He was shouting and waving his arms in an attempt to get the centipede’s attention.

“Hey! Hey, over here!”

“Nick!” Stephen called.

“Go, go,” Cutter yelled. “Get the girls’ out of here!”

Sofi wrenched open the door and turned to Abby and Stephen. “Come on!” she said, latching onto Abby’s arm and pulling her out of the bunker. She hated herself for leaving Cutter, but he had given them an order to go. Disobeying that order, and getting themselves hurt or worse was not going to help matters.

Slamming the door behind him, Stephen turned to the two girls’ as they hurried out into the tunnel. They didn’t say anything to one another until they were once again above ground, and surrounded by Claudia, Ryan, and paramedics.

** ~X~ **

“Are you alright?” Claudia asked Sofi, noticing the pale look on her the teenagers face and the tremble in her hands as she clenched her fists. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Sofi laughed softly and shook her head. “Not a ghost,” she said. “Just the giant version of a creature that freaks me out.”

Claudia frowned and turned to Stephen and Abby as a paramedic led Sofi away to a waiting ambulance. The teenager went with him without question or argument, and sat on the step as he checked her over.

“Did you get bitten?” the paramedic asked, tilting her head back and shining a small pen light into her eyes.

“No,” Sofi replied. Her mouth was dry.

The paramedic nodded but still he checked her over for any visible wounds and/or bite marks. He could tell that she was scared of something. She was showing classic symptoms of fear and panic, and her heart was running at an elevated pace of 110 beats per minute.

“Is there anything you need?” the paramedic asked.

“A drop of water would be nice,” Sofi answered.

The medic nodded and disappeared around the side of the ambulance. Sofi could hear him looking through a bag before he returned with a bottle of water. He uncapped it and handed it to her. “Drink this and I’ll come back in a few to check your heart rate,” he said, squeezing her shoulder.

Sofi nodded and sipped the water as the medic walked away. She sighed and brushed her hair from her face. She felt flushed, and if she had access to a mirror she was sure her face would be as red as a tomato.

“Are you okay?”

Sofi looked around and saw Ryan leaning against the ambulance door. He looked concerned as he stared at her.

“Yeah,” Sofi answered. “Just wasn’t expecting a giant centipede to be lurking in the second bunker.” She turned away as she closed her eyes, and breathed deeply. She could feel the adrenaline wearing off and the flush subsiding from her face, her hands had stopped trembling, too.

Ryan watched her closely. “You’re afraid of centipedes?” he asked.

“No. I just don’t like them,” said Sofi. “Normally, I leave them alone, and I did with this one. I tried to get away as quietly as I could, so I wouldn’t disturb it. But it attacked me. So…” she shrugged.

A slightly awkward, but moderately comfortable silence fell between them and Sofi found herself looking up at Ryan with keen interest. Why did she get the feeling that his concern for her was more than just professional? He hadn’t subconsciously wandered over to the ambulance to check on her as his questions were deliberate and specific.

“What?” Sofi asked, meeting his gaze.

“Nothing,” said Ryan, shaking his head.

“The look on your face says otherwise,” said Sofi, blinking as she looked away. She took another long sip of her water, holding it in her mouth before letting it trickle down her throat.

Ryan cleared his throat and pushed off of the ambulance door. In the distance he could see the medic that had originally checked Sofi over, heading back. “One more thing,” he said. “A few of my men have informed me that there is something beeping in your car.”

“That would be my laptop,” said Sofi. “It’s probably finished running its creature diagnostic. Thanks. I’ll check it out as soon as I’m released.”

Ryan nodded and walked away.

The medic smiled as Sofi looked up at him. “How are you feeling now?” he asked.

“Better,” Sofi answered. She held out her wrist, allowing the medic to find her pulse and time it against the watch on his arm. Once he was satisfied her heart rate had returned to near enough normal, he released her, and Sofi headed towards her car.

** ~X~ **

“Connor!”

Sofi looked up from her computer and saw a black SUV pull up behind her car. Out of the back seat came Connor Temple, a smile on his face as he spotted Abby running towards him.

“You’re late,” Sofi teased. Although she was curious as to why he hadn’t been there since the beginning.

“Not by choice, believe me,” said Connor, leaning beside her. “Do you mind?” he held up his bags and pointed at her car.

Sofi shook her head.

Satisfied, Connor dumped his things in the back of Sofi’s mustang and then pulled his laptop from his backpack. He set it up beside Sofi as Claudia joined them, finally.

“What have you got?” Claudia asked.

“Well, Connor isn’t fully up to speed yet,” said Sofi. “But my diagnostic search gave a few possible creatures that could be responsible. There are a number of species of marine reptiles, lizards and snakes, but there are also archosaurs, which include crocodiles, dinosaurs, and birds.”

“Did you just say snakes?” Claudia asked. “Could that be what we’re looking for?”

Sofi shook her head. “Trust me, this was no snake,” she said. “Unfortunately, I have tried searching for the creature myself, but because I don’t remember the name of it, I am coming up empty on description alone.”

“Maybe I can help?” Connor said. “My database allows for description searches.”

“It was a giant centipede,” said Sofi.

Connor inputted the data into his computer and hit enter. A few seconds later a result came back. “Was it an Arthropleurid?” he asked, looking at Sofi. He showed her the image on his screen.

“Yes,” said Sofi. “That’s it! Arthropleurid, you say?”

Connor nodded.

Sofi quickly jotted down the name. She couldn’t ever remember reading something about an Arthropleurid, but wanted the name so she could check her notes later that evening. Maybe she had, and because it was a name associated with something she didn’t like, she had forgotten it.

“What is an Arthro-whatever?” Abby asked.

“It’s basically a centipede on steroids,” said Connor. “It’s more or less blind, good sense of smell and touch. I mean, this thing’s pretty big and scary-looking, but it’s more or less timid. It’s the kind of bug that’d stick to the kitchen at parties.”

“This one must have a personality disorder,” said Claudia. “How dangerous is it?”

Connor shook his head and looked back at his computer. “According to this, it would have eaten dead wood and leaves,” he said.

“So, it’s not poisonous?” Sofi asked.

“Not a chance,” Connor answered.

Sofi sighed and looked back at her own computer. “Well, if it’s not the spiders and it’s not the centipede, then what the hell is it?” she asked. “I mean, what are the chances that there is a third creature down there?”

There was a commotion near the entrance to the station. Sofi looked up and spotted a mob of SAS soldiers running away from the exit, following behind them, calling for a stretcher, and supporting a rapidly deteriorating Stephen between them was Cutter and Ryan.

“Oh no,” Claudia murmured, rushing over with Abby, Connor, and Sofi.

“Stephen!” Abby cried.

“What happened?” Claudia asked.

“He’s been bitten by the Arthropleurid,” said Cutter. “Same wound. Same symptoms as the pest controller. We need to do something before it destroys his central nervous system.”

“Poison?” Connor repeated.

“Sofi was right, it’s not the spiders that are the killers,” said Cutter. “It’s the centipede.”

Sofi bit her lip as she watched Stephen get loaded into the back of an ambulance, Abby following after a brief pause. She could only image the hell that Stephen was going through, and it was at times like this that she wished she hadn’t been right in her deductions. But, even then, by proving the spiders were innocent she had helped find the real killer.

** ~X~ **

“What is it?”

Sofi glanced over her shoulder and spotted a young cadet by the name Shawn Scott standing a few feet away, he was shining a torch over what appeared to be computer serves from the 1970s.

“It’s a blast from the past,” Sofi answered, turning her attention away. “They must’ve used this place as a storage unit or something.” She flicked her flashlight over other various items, most of them older than the servers themselves.

Reaching into a box, Shawn pulled out a long horn-like instrument. “Is this some kind of old trumpet?” he asked, turning it over in his hands.

“Try a Gramophone,” Sofi replied. “It’s basically an old record player.”

“Cool, I think?” Shawn said putting the gramophone away. He turned away from Sofi and continued his search for more spiders. He, and the rest of his unit, had been sent down with ultra-strong flash lights to drive the creatures back through the anomaly.

Sofi watched as the young cadet continued his job, but also stopped now and then to investigate some old equipment hidden away inside boxes and on shelves. The look on his face was one of pure curiosity and excitement, almost like he had hit the mother load on fascinating objects from years gone by.

“You shouldn’t be down here,” said Ryan, as Sofi wandered in his direction.

“Why?” Sofi asked. “Because I don’t like centipedes?”

Ryan shook his head. “How are you supposed to defend yourself against it?” he asked. “You said yourself, you came close last time.”

“I thought protecting me was your job,” said Sofi.

“No guns in a small room, remember?” Ryan said.

“Then why do you have that with you?” Sofi asked, nodding at the rifle in his hand.

“...”

Sofi grinned and Ryan felt his heart skip a beat. How could he respond to that? 

“I’m just messing with you, Captain,” said Sofi. “Besides, this thing is massive. If it were in this room we’d have found it by now.”

As Sofi walked away, Ryan released the breath he had been holding, and his gaze skimmed over her from head to toe. What was it about this teenager that made him pause?

Ryan shook his head and moved onwards into the second bunker, leaving Sofi with Shawn to herd the remainder of the spiders in from the first.

“ _Ryan. Ryan, are you there?_ ”

“First line is clear. Moving into second bunker,” Ryan responded.

“ _Have you seen the centipede yet?_ ”

A spider squealed as it was launched through the air and landed on its back inside the second bunker. Looking around, Sofi raised her fist and sunk it into a soldier’s shoulder.

“What was that for?” the soldier asked. His name was Aaron Black.

“They may not look pretty,” said Sofi. “But they still deserve our respect. Don’t treat them like they’re nothing.”

“They’re insects,” Aaron replied.

“Actually, they’re arachnids,” Sofi corrected. “There’s a big difference. How would you like it if you were treated differently? Maybe because you wear a Uniform? Not everyone believes in what you do, you know?”

Aaron smirked as he studied Sofi. “I should’ve guessed,” he said. “You’re an animal rights activist. Someone that promotes animal welfare. Not everyone believes in what you do, either.”

Sofi shrugged and passed through into the second bunker. The spider, Aaron had kicked had righted itself and scuttled back through the anomaly unharmed.

“ _On no account let it return through the anomaly. Repeat, do not let it go back._ ”

Glancing over at Ryan, Sofi turned away as he met her gaze. She had already told him that the centipede couldn’t have been hiding in either of the bunkers as it was too big to remain hidden for too long. The only reason she managed to find it earlier was because it had been drawn out by the vibrations of Abby dropping her flashlight.

“It’s not here, is it?” Ryan asked, approaching Sofi as she stood in front of the anomaly.

Sofi shook her head.

“What are you going to tell the Professor?”

“I… I don’t know,” Sofi answered. She knew the repercussions of losing the Arthropleurid; it meant that Stephen would die from its poisonous bite.

“What about in here?”

Sofi finally tore her gaze away from the anomaly, and followed Ryan’s voice over to a door in the wall.

“Could it have gone through here?” Ryan asked, looking back at Sofi.

Sofi shrugged. “It’s been closed the entire time we’ve been down here,” she said. “And I think Cutter went through there when we got separated. He could’ve left it open when he found Stephen, and the centipede scuttled through when they came out, but that doesn’t explain why the door is closed again.”

“Closed itself,” said Aaron. “It’s not rocket science.”

“A steel door closing on its own?” Sofi asked.

Aaron glared at the back of the teenagers head, but before he could retort Cutter, Abby, Claudia, and Connor stepped through into the first bunker. The Professor headed straight for the second bunker and over to Sofi and Ryan.

“Where is it?” Cutter asked.

“The bunkers are clear,” said Ryan, before Sofi had a chance. He met her gaze as she looked at him, and then turned his attention back to Cutter. “And it hasn’t been through the anomaly on my watch. There’s nowhere else for it to go. Either it’s already gone back through or it’s beyond that door.”

Cutter glanced at Sofi. She was watching the anomaly. “What do you think?” he asked. Granted Stephen was his best friend, and he was determined to save his life, but he respected her opinion enough to ask for it.

Sofi shrugged and looked at Cutter. “Honestly, I don’t think it’s in there,” she said. “But, if it means saving Stephen’s life then it is worth a shot.  I don’t want him to die any more than you do.”

Cutter squeezed her shoulder and turned to Ryan. “We go in there,” he said, heading towards the steel door.

Sofi glanced around at Abby and Connor as Claudia followed after the others, their clearance may have covered all areas, but this was one area that their jurisdiction was out of bounds.

“What if it’s not in there?” Abby asked.

“It has to be,” said Connor. “It’s nowhere else in here, is it Sof? I mean, you’ve checked everywhere, right?”

Sofi stared at Connor.

“What?” Connor asked. “Did I say something?”

“Sorry,” Sofi apologised. “It’s just; you called me ‘Sof’. No one has called me ‘Sof’ in a long time.”

Connor frowned. “I can stop if you don’t like it?” he asked.

But Sofi smiled and shook her head. “No, I like it,” she said. “And to answer your question, yes, we’ve searched everywhere. Shawn even triple checked the boxes to make sure.” She smiled teasingly at the young cadet at the fence.

Shawn blushed but smiled nonetheless.

A few minutes later, Cutter, Claudia, Ryan, and two other soldiers reappeared. They looked defeated and it didn’t take a genius to figure out that they hadn’t found the centipede.

Sofi swallowed and turned to Abby. The blonde looked ready to cry and walked out of the second bunker. “Abby,” she called, racing after her.

“Please don’t,” Abby said, shaking her head. “I know you’re going to try and say something helpful, and you’re probably right. But I just don’t want to hear it right now.”

“I was actually going to ask you how long you’ve liked Stephen.” Sofi asked.

Abby smiled faintly, but shrugged. “We’ve only known each other a week,” she said. “Is that even enough time to develop feelings for someone?”

“Well, apparently, it only takes four minutes four our brains to officially like someone,” said Sofi. “Ninety minutes to fall in love. I read somewhere that twenty-years ago, a New York Psychologist succeeded in making two complete strangers fall in love in a laboratory, in just ninety-four minutes.”

Abby cocked her head to the side.

“What?” Sofi asked.

“You have some weird interests, Sof,” Abby said, although she couldn’t help but smile.

Sofi grinned and nodded. “You sound like my best friend, Samantha,” she said. “She used to say that frequently.”

“Used too?” Abby asked.

“She moved to New Zealand last year,” said Sofi. “Independent study. I had the chance to go with her, but I turned it down. Good thing I did, eh?”

Abby laughed lightly. “Thanks, Sof,” she said.

“For what?” Sofi asked.

“Taking my mind off the current situation. Even if it was just for a little while.”

Sofi smiled and nodded. “If you ever want me to just babble, let me know,” she said. “I’ve been told, despite it being annoying, it does actually work as a nice distraction.”

Abby smiled.

“Cutter!”

Both Sofi and Abby looked around as Connor stumbled back into the bunker. He had disappeared outside for something or another, but looked frantic now as he rushed back in. He bypassed the two females and ducked through the fence into the second bunker.

“I’d forgotten,” said Connor, puffing as he tried to catch his breath. “Arthropleurid, they were supposed to be burrowers, so look for a hole in the floor, in the walls, anywhere.”

He ducked back out into the second bunker and started searching the small area.

Abby and Sofi shared a look before separating and helping. Abby wandered over to the far end of the bunker, and Sofi headed towards Shawn. She helped him over aside some boxes and shelves, but still they came up empty.

“Cutter!” Connor shouted. “I’ve found it! I was right. It’s still here.”

Abandoning her post, Sofi hurried across the room and stopped beside Abby. They were both watching as Cutter removed the last of the debris around a giant gaping hole in the wall, and peered down into its darkened depths.

“How deep could this be?” Cutter asked.

“A creature that size?” Sofi asked, tallying up the calculations in her head. “Fifty-feet, maybe.”

Shawn shot her an incredulous look. “Don’t tell me you managed to add that up in your head?” he asked.

Sofi grinned at him from over her shoulder.

“Just how smart are you?” Shawn asked.

“Do you really want me to answer that?” Sofi asked. She turned back to the situation at hand and found Abby grinning into her fist.

Cutter looked back at the hole as Claudia knelt beside him. “All right, I’m going in,” he decided.

“That’s crazy,” said Claudia, shaking her head.

“There’s no other way of finding out where it’s gone,” Cutter told her.

“I’m going to come, too,” said Connor.

Cutter hesitated and looked from Sofi to Ryan and then back again.

Sofi held up her hands in defence. “You may need him,” she said. “Because I’m not going down there.”

Connor looked to Sofi and she winked. She would’ve gone if Cutter had asked, but she knew that Connor was trying to prove himself. It was obvious he had done something stupid, even if she didn’t know what that stupid thing was, and she wasn’t about to stand in his way of redeeming himself in Cutter’s eyes.

“Yeah,” Cutter said, winking at Connor.

Shedding his bag, Connor turned to Abby and Sofi. “Thank you,” he whispered the youngster.

“Go make him proud,” Sofi said.

Connor nodded and turned his attention to Abby. “If I don’t come back, you can have my _Star Trek: Next Generation_ Top Trumps,” he said.

“I’ll treasure them,” Abby said, squeezing his arm.

Connor took a deep breath as he stepped away, paused and then turned back. “Actually, you know, maybe it would just be best if you buried them with me,” he said.

Sofi laughed as Abby looked shocked.

“Here. Put this on your clothes,” said Cutter, passing a bottle of clear liquid to Ryan. “It’s turpentine. Bugs hate it.”

Ryan shrugged and upturned the bottle, rubbing much of liquid into his uniform and then passing it to Connor.

“It’s also mildly toxic to humans,” said Sofi, as Connor emptied the remains onto his hands. He looked up at her nervously. “It’s only lethal if you swallow it,” she added, quickly.

“You’re sure about that?” Connor asked.

Sofi shrugged, looking less than sure than Connor would’ve liked. “Probably,” she said, nodding.

“Probably?” Connor squeaked.

Abby nudged Sofi as Connor looked worriedly down at his hands. 

“When you're ready, Connor,” said Cutter, removing the last of the debris and climbing through into the hole.

Ryan looked around at his men as he stepped up to the wall. He met Sofi's gaze and she offered him a small smile. He returned it and then followed Cutter.

“Hey, Connor,” said Sofi, as her fellow student waited a few minutes for Ryan to move through the tunnel.

“Yeah?”

“Don't die.”

Connor nodded once and then disappeared through the hole.

** ~X~ **

Later that evening, after Cutter, Ryan, and Connor had returned triumphant with the venom sample, Sofi found herself sitting alongside Jayden’s bed at the hospital. She had already been up to check in on Stephen - he was doing a lot better than he had been a few hours ago. He wasn’t awake, yet, but the convulsions had stopped and he was breathing on his own, which was a good thing.

Sofi had left Stephen in the care of Abby and Connor soon after and decided that she would check in on Jayden before heading home. She had a lot of work to finish, not mentioning she hadn’t see Toby or Figaro all day.

After finding Jayden’s room, Sofi took a seat in the empty chair beside his bed and curled her legs up under her. She slipped her phone from her pocket and checked her emails and social media accounts. She had a message from Samantha, telling her how New Zealand was and explaining that she had sent an email attachment of all the wonderful sites she had visited.

Sofi smiled as she quickly replied to the message and then set her phone down on the table beside her. She cocked her head to the side as she noticed an unfinished crossword puzzle lying open on the table, and could only guess that Jayden had woken up at some point and had been given the crossword to help with his boredom.

Taking the puzzle in hand, Sofi twirled the discarded pen between her fingers and started to answer the rest of his questions. She figured Jayden wouldn’t mind, and had either not finished because he was tired, or possibly didn’t know the answers.

Sofi wasn’t sure how long she worked on the crossword, but soon she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end and paused. “Why don’t you take a picture?” she asked, glancing over her shoulder and finding Ryan standing in the doorway.

Ryan averted his gaze but couldn’t help the grin that came to his lips. He pushed away from the door and entered the room, approaching the window on the opposite side of the room.

“Checking up on Jayden?” Sofi asked, going back to her crossword.

Ryan nodded, his gaze transfixed on the landscape beyond the glass. It wasn’t anything interesting, just a busy intersection and random passer-by’s going about their business. But it was something that took his attention off of Sofi; he didn’t want to give her another excuse to accuse him of staring, even though he had been doing just that.

“Did you know he had already woken up?”

Again, Ryan nodded.

When she didn’t respond, Ryan glanced at her from the corner of her eye. She had gone back to her crossword. The tip of her pen stuck between her lips, as her brow knitted together in concentration. Ryan couldn’t help but think she looked rather cute.

“You like puzzles?” Ryan asked.

Sofi looked up. “What gave you that idea?” she asked.

Ryan looked over at her.

Meeting his gaze, Sofi grinned.

Ryan chuckled and shook his head. “You’re messing with me again?” he asked.

Sofi laughed. “Nothing gets past you, eh, Captain?” she asked. “Yes, I like puzzles. They keep the brain activate, and I like a challenge.”

“I overheard you and Shawn earlier, down in the bunker,” said Ryan. “He asked you how smart you really were, but you didn’t tell him.”

“Yep. He already seems amazed by me,” said Sofi. “Besides, I don’t really like boasting about my IQ.”

Ryan folded his arms as he leaned back against the wall, still watching her. “Is that your way of saying I don’t get to know either?” he asked.

“Why do you care?” Sofi asked. “Does it really matter how smart I am?”

“I guess not.”

Sofi shrugged. “Then why do you want to know?” she asked.

“Just making conversation.”

Sofi looked back at her puzzle and scribbled down another answer. “I don’t talk about my IQ because the last time someone found it out, they dropped me. They were so intimidated and felt that they needed to keep up.” She shook her head. “I don’t expect anyone to keep up with me, or have the same IQ level. I don’t judge.”

Ryan considered her carefully and felt a twinge of sadness for her. How could someone treat her so differently just because she was smart? “I’m sorry that happened to you,” he said.

“I don’t need sympathy either,” Sofi answered without looking up. “I didn’t tell you that so you’d feel sorry for me.”

“I didn’t - I just -” Ryan stammered. He didn’t mean to upset her.

Sofi shook her head and went back to her puzzle.

Ryan sighed and turned back to the window.

“What other puzzles do you like?”

Sofi jumped as Jayden spoke. He was lying in his back, his head cocked to the side, and staring at her. “How long have you been awake?” she asked.

“Long enough to know there is some serious sexual tension between you two,” said Jayden.

Sofi felt her face warm as blood rushed to her cheeks, and Ryan cleared his throat awkwardly.

“Should have left you in the bunker,” Sofi muttered.

Jayden chuckled.


	3. Submerged

“Did you find anything interesting in your research?” Jayden asked Sofi. He was sitting up in bed and waiting for the arrival of Nurse Lewis. Today was, hopefully, the day he got released from the hospital. After his run in with an ancient prehistoric reptiles and a spider, he had been forced into a week of bedrest.

Sofi looked up from her book. She had come to visit Stephen and Jayden again, bringing with her the work she had been doing since starting the anomaly project. So far, there had only been two anomalies, but she and Professor Cutter were convinced that there had been many more in the past. They just hadn’t realised it yet.

“I found a few interesting possibilities,” Sofi said.

“Care to share?”

Sofi smiled and closed the book she had been reading. “Do you think you can keep up?” she asked.

“I’m not that dumb, Sofi,” Jayden said, chuckling. “Give it to me.”

“Okay. Well, civilisation speaks of monsters and dragons, right?” Sofi asked. “I mean, every culture on Earth has its own living legends.”

“Like the Loch Ness Monster,” Jayden said, nodding.

“Exactly. Well, I researched possible connections between living legends, like Nessie, and tried to link it back to prehistoric creatures.”

“Did you find anything?”

Sofi inclined her head to the left and reached for her notebook in her bag. “As you know, the only picture they have of Nessie is the head from the water, right?” she asked.

Jayden nodded.

“So, I researched all possible dinosaurs with long necks and a small head,” said Sofi. “The results are surprising. There is a chance that Nessie could be a missing link to the past, literally.”

“You’re saying that Nessie could be a dinosaur that came through an anomaly in 1933?” Jayden asked.

Sofi nodded,

“So, how come it has never been found?” Jayden asked. “Did it swim back through the anomaly before it reclosed?”

Sofi shrugged. “A lot of people have claimed to have seen the Loch Ness Monster after the initial photo was taken,” she said. “There is a chance that it got trapped here and just died in the lake.”

“Then a body should be discoverable?”

“Not necessarily,” said Sofi, shaking her head. “Decomposition could be the reason the body hasn’t been found, not to mention scavengers.”

Jayden looked thoughtful before nodding. “Or there is the possibility that the anomaly reopened and she just went home, yeah?” he asked.

“That is another possibility, yeah,” Sofi nodded. “The anomalies are conclusive proof that the past exists in a fourth dimension as solid, and real as those we already know.”

“What other possible creature sightings do you have?” Jayden asked. “Nessie was an easy one. I thought you liked a challenge?”

Sofi grinned and flipped over a few pages of her notebook. “Ever year of Giant Anacondas?” she asked.

“Yes, those movies freaked me out as a kid,” Jayden said, shuddering.

“Well, I’m not talking about genetically enhanced creatures, here,” said Sofi. “I’m talking about the real deal. Legends about a great, water-dwelling serpent stretch far back into the murky depths of Amazonian culture, but “Giant Anaconda” lore wasn’t popularized until European colonists brought the influence of the more scientific western world to South America. Colonists may not have believed in the mystical powers that indigenous people assigned to their god-like snakes, but they were very ready to believe, and contribute to, reports of mammoth snakes hiding in the river.”

Jayden shuddered again. “Are you telling me there are giant snakes roaming around out there?” he asked.

“Not here in England, obviously,” said Sofi. “The climate is too cold for them. But, there are large snakes in South America. Green Anacondas are the largest known, and the largest has been measured at a full fourteen feet, more than the average length.”

“Great,” Jayden muttered. “Remind me to never plan a visit to South America.”

Sofi smiled and shook her head. “If you think that is bad, wait until you hear this,” she said.

“There’s more?” Jayden asked. “How can there be a snake bigger than fourteen feet?”

“Relax, Jayden, Giant Anacondas don’t slither the Earth today, but the ancestors of today’s anacondas did reach giant proportions. Ever year of Titanoboa?”

Jayden shook his head.

“Well, Titanoboa is the largest snake species the world has ever seen,” Sofi explained. “Titanoboa is a Columbian monster, and is estimated to have reached lengths of 42 feet (13 meters) or more.”

“That makes me feel loads better.”

“There is also the Gigantophis, who held the title of the world’s largest snake before remains of Titanoboa were unearthed, lived in the Middle East and was capable of growing to 36 feet or more.”

Jayden felt his stomach churn. “Please, stop,” he pleaded.

“Sorry,” Sofi apologised. Sometimes she forgot that not everyone shared her fascination for weird, yet incredible things. “Do you want me to continue?”

“Do you have any other stories of snakes?”

Sofi shook her head.

“Then you may continue.”

The door opened and Nurse Lewis stepped into the room followed closely by Shawn Scott.

“Show and Tell will have to wait, Sof,” said Shawn. “Home Office just called. We may have another one.”

Sofi met Jayden’s eyes and turned to Nurse Lewis. “Is he free to go?” she asked.

“We’ve run every test imaginable and have received all the results,” said Nurse Lewis. “He’s clear of any toxins and venom, and there doesn’t seem to be anything dangerously wrong with him.”

“Did you check his head?” Sofi teased.

Jayden stuck his tongue out and Sofi giggled.

Nurse Lewis smiled. “He’s free to go when he’s ready,” she said. “If there is anything we need to check in future, we have your contact details on file.”

Jayden nodded and jumped down from his bed. He grabbed his jacket from the back of the chair, and followed Sofi out into the hall.

“Where’s the new alert?” Jayden asked.

“Should you really be going?” Sofi asked, looking up from her phone. She had been checking the text message that Nick had sent her while her phone had been off.

Jayden placed his arm around her shoulders. “Like I said, I’m not letting you have all the fun,” he said.

“They definitely should’ve checked your head,” said Sofi, ducking out from underneath his arm.

**~X~**

Upon entering the swimming pool, Sofi looked around and spotted the rest of her team - Connor and Stephen were sitting at the edge of the pool, the latter looked like he was preparing to dive in, and Abby was working nearby on water samples.

“We need to check in with Captain Ryan,” said Shawn. “Catch you later, Sofi.”

Sofi smiled and waved the pair off before making her way over to Abby. “Hey, sorry I’m late,” she apologised. “What we got?”

“Anthony Barton, lifeguard,” said Abby. “He was attacked and killed by, what his girlfriend describes as a giant water monster.”

“Could be a number of things,” said Sofi, looking around the arena. “Modern day crocodiles are out, that’s for sure. I mean, how would a croc get in here for one? Not to mention all the chlorine in the water, to a reptile it would be like swimming in a bucket of acid.”

Abby nodded in agreement. “Cutter’s got us collecting water samples,” she said. “I think he wants you to check them out for any abnormalities.”

Sofi nodded and knelt opposite Abby. She took the first sample that had been collected, and properly labelled, and set a droplet between two slides, before slipping it under a microscope. “How’s Stephen?” she asked.

“Slight amnesia, otherwise he’s fine,” said Abby. “How’s Jayden?”

“Where do I start?”

Abby chuckled. “I’m surprised he’s back at work so fast,” she said.

“Tell me about it,” Sofi agreed. “But, he doesn’t want to miss out on all the fun, apparently.” 

“Because chasing prehistoric killers is fun,” Abby said.

Sofi grinned and swapped her samples over. “I’m actually rather surprised,” she said. “We refer to these creatures as ‘prehistoric’ but yet none of them have been dinosaurs. They’re like pre-prehistoric.”

“Only you would notice that, Sof,” said Abby.

“Hey, it’s my job to observational.”

“I guess we’re lucky that you’re rather good at it, huh?”

Sofi shrugged. “Guess it depends on your point of view,” she said. “Some people find it annoying. I see things they don’t want me to see, like, for example, the tension between you and Stephen?”

Abby sighed and averted her gaze. “It was a misunderstanding,” she said, shaking her head.

“On his part or yours?”

Abby shrugged.

“I’m not going to push,” said Sofi, going back to her work. “But you know you can talk to me.”

Abby glanced over the samples at the teenager, she then smiled. “Thanks, Sof, means a lot,” she said.

“No problem.”

**~X~**

Later that afternoon, Jayden stood on the dock at Stoke Newington West reservoir looking out of the murky waters, searching for any surface disturbances to show there was a prehistoric creature lurking beneath its depths.

Sitting cross-legged beside him, her laptop perched in her lap, was his new best-friend, Sofi Wyatt. She was tapping away furiously at the keys, while systematically searching the GPS coordinates on Google Maps. She had been asked, by Professor Nick Cutter, to try and find a link between their earlier anomaly opening and this new one.

“Anything?” Jayden asked.

“Since you asked me two minutes ago?” Sofi asked without looking away from the screen. “No.”

Jayden sighed agitatedly and paced up the dock, paused and then returned. His footsteps echoed and the vibrations caused Sofi to roll her eyes.

“Before you wear a groove in the dock, will you please go and find something to do?” Sofi asked. “Like, I don’t know, make sure the oxygen tanks are full for the next lot of divers?”

“Trying to get rid of me, Sof?” Jayden asked, grinning. “And here I thought we had a connection.”

Sofi rolled her eyes. “You’re annoying me,” she muttered. She returned her attention to the computer and Jayden sighed heavily. He paced a few more steps before returning to the edge and sitting beside her.

“How do you do this?” Jayden asked.

“Do what?”

“Be so calm?”

Sofi paused and looked up. “What do you mean?” she asked, quirking an eyebrow.

“There is a killer crocodile out there, somewhere,” said Jayden, pointing at the waters. “And you’re sitting here as if it is nothing. Aren’t you the least bit scared that it could pop up at any second and grab you?”

Sofi looked out of the waters and then back at Jayden. “Course,” she said, simply. “I just don’t think about it. Besides, this dock is full of Military personnel. Sure, you’re sitting here, but I have more than just one pair of eyes watching me.”

“You mean like the Captain’s?” Jayden teased.

“Shut up,” Sofi muttered, looking away. She had felt another set of eyes on her throughout the time she had been sitting there, working, and each time she glanced around she would find Ryan looking away. She wasn’t sure if she was annoyed or thrilled by the idea that he was watching her.

Jayden chuckled. “You should make a move,” he encouraged.

“I said shut up,” said Sofi, her gaze glued to the screen.

“It’s obvious that you feel something for him,” Jayden continued. “Love? No, you’ve only just met, it’s still early stages. Tension? That’s a definite. You both squabble like a couple. Lust, maybe?”

Sofi turned quickly to Jayden and roughly pushed him away from her. He teetered dangerously over the edge and then eased back onto the dock, laughing.

“Next time I push you in,” Sofi warned.

“You’re strong for a feather,” Jayden said, straightening up. He stepped behind Sofi, squatted down and whispered: “Maybe I’ll go encourage the Captain to make the first move, huh?”

Sofi paused, again, and looked back at Jayden. “I’m willing to bet he is a lot stronger than I am,” she said. “Maybe he’ll do us both a favour and actually push you off the dock.”

Jayden smirked as he walked away.

Sofi shook her head and quietly muttered to herself as she returned to her work. She had been researching possible creatures that could’ve killed Anthony Barton earlier in the swimming pool, and later regurgitated him here at the reservoir. But, with very little evidence, she was finding the search fruitless.

“Any luck?” Stephen asked, wandering over. He squatted down beside Sofi and peered over her shoulder. “I don’t think we’re looking for Nessie.”

Sofi smiled and shrugged. “No?” she asked. “Sorry. That’s research for something else.”

“What about our current case? You find any possibilities?”

“A few. But nothing solid.”

“Care to share?”

Sofi nodded and opened the document she had been working on. It was full of lists of possible water-dwelling creatures that could’ve been the culprit.

Stephen recognised some names like Liopleurodon and Megalodon, but the idea that a prehistoric shark that was said to grow to an estimated 15 and 18 meters in length, was hard to swallow. “Any other candidates?” he asked.

“I’m still searching,” said Sofi. “I’m doing a lot more than just researching possible predators, here, Stephen. I’m running several searches on different things, and I’m waiting for a call back from my dad on the samples we took from the swimming pool. I can’t go any faster than what I am.”

“Alright. Sorry,” said Stephen, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Sofi nodded and looked back at her screen. She paused, briefly, and looked up as she heard Connor calling for Professor Cutter on the other side of the dock.

“I’ll be right back,” said Stephen, straightening up. “Keep searching.”

“Like I have anything better to do,” said Sofi. She felt the dock vibrate beneath her as Stephen hurried off.

Taking a second, Sofi glanced out at the waters as a shiver run down her spine, Jayden’s words of being snatched ringing in her ears. She shook her head, and then returned to her task.

Unbeknownst to Sofi, she was being watched from the depths of the murky waters by an ancient marine predator that had a taste for human flesh.

**~X~**

“Hey, Sof,” Cutter called, approaching his student. She had long since moved from the edge of the dock and was now sitting further up, near a supply table. Her laptop rested on the surface while papers milled around her.

Sofi looked up and smiled. “Hey, what did Connor find?” she asked.

“He just confirmed that the anomaly is still open,” said Cutter. “The water is getting smaller and smaller by the second. Like someone has pulled the plug on a bath.”

“Flowing out through the anomaly.” said Sofi, nodding.

Cutter nodded and leaned beside her. “Stephen says you’ve narrowed down some suspects?” he asked.

“I have a few that fit the bill, but I can’t say I am 100% confident,” said Sofi. “A few of them are farfetched, and don’t match the animal profile of a killer. Take the, Liopleurodon, for example. Sure, it was a carnivorous marine reptile but it mainly ate fish, squids, and other, smaller marine reptiles, and sharks.”

“It doesn’t mean it isn’t a human killer,” said Cutter.

Sofi nodded. “True. But, another fact about Liopleurodon is that it had lungs, and not gills,” she said. “If this was the creature that killed Anthony Barton then it would’ve needed to surface by now to breathe. This creature can stay underwater for a long period of time, meaning it doesn’t breathe air.”

Cutter nodded. “Okay. So we can rule out a Liopleurodon and any other Pliosaurus,” he said. “You have Megalodon down. Do you really think it’s a giant shark?”

“Honestly? No.”

“Reasons?”

“A giant shark?” Sofi asked. “Pretty sure we would’ve found it by now, and besides, when a shark goes in for an attack you see its dorsal fin first. Plus, there is the fact that it is an ambush predator. There wouldn’t have been enough room in the pool to ambush Anthony, and then there is the fact that a meal can satisfy a shark for up to two months.”

“Sharks have been known to vomit up their food if they feel threatened,” said Cutter. “There is nothing to say a Megalodon doesn’t do the same.”

Sofi nodded in agreement. “I agree, but unless there is more than one predator down there then I don’t see a reason for why the shark would spit out its food,” she said.

“So, Megalodon is off the list, too,” said Cutter. Together he and Sofi were quickly narrowing down their list of suspects.

As they worked, Cutter watched Sofi from the corner of his eye. She had already proven to be passionate about her work, and the amount of effort she put into her work made him feel glad that he had invited her on this hoax hunt in the very beginning.

“Sofi, I know you have a lot on your plate right now,” said Cutter, suddenly. “And I don’t really want to burden you with any more. But, there isn’t anyone else I can honestly trust this task too.”

“What do you need?” Sofi asked.

Cutter considered her for a brief second. “I had Claudia get me maps of every water source between here and the pool,” he explained. “I am hoping to find some sort of pattern linking these two sites.”

“And you’re hoping I can help you?” Sofi asked.

“Please?”

Sofi looked back at her laptop, considering the idea. She did have a lot of work to do, but she had always been someone to take on more than she could handle. Besides, her searches so far were coming back empty, what was something that could actually provide some answers?

“Sure, alright.” Sofi said, nodding.

“Are you sure?” Cutter asked.

Sofi smiled. “Don’t worry, Professor, multitasking is one of my many abilities,” she said.

Cutter chuckled and nodded. He waved to a young soldier who walked over with an armful of maps. “Do you need me to stay and help?” he asked.

“You’re okay,” said Sofi. “Go back to the anomaly. I’ll let you know if I find anything here, and on the creature search.”

“Thank you, Sofi,” said Cutter. He stood and squeezed her shoulder. “But don’t feel bad if you can’t find anything, or if you need any help, then don’t hesitate to ask.”

Sofi nodded and watched as her Professor walked away. Once he was out of ear shot she looked up at the soldier and smiled. “Sofi,” she introduced.

“Jacobs,” the soldier answered.

“Nice to meet you, Jacobs,” said Sofi, unfurling the maps on the table around her. She dug through her backpack which was under the table and pulled out the equipment she would needed, before getting straight to work.

Jacobs watched her closely.

Glancing up, Sofi smiled and lifted her gaze to his. “Do you have any other jobs today?” she asked.

Jacobs shook his head.

“Do you want to learn something new?”

Jacobs nodded.

Sofi smiled and motioned for him to join her on her side of the table. “Here, take this,” she said, handing him a compass. “Place it here - it’s where Anthony Barton was attacked this morning. Now, spread the compass as far as it will go and place it on the next point.”

Jacobs did as instructed. He did it until he had reached the mark that Sofi had placed on the map, it was over their current position.

“Nice,” said Sofi, grinning. “Now, all we need to do is map our tracks. Here.” She handed him a black marker and grabbed a ruler from her backpack. “Follow the line to the end.  Make sure you start on one point and end at the other.”

Jacobs traced a thick black line through the compass points. Starting from the swimming pool and ending at the reservoir.

Once they had finished, Sofi pulled back and admired the map. She smiled and turned to Jacobs. “Nice work,” she said.

“Thank you, Miss.”

“Call me Sofi.”

Jacobs nodded. “Sofi,” he said. “Thank you. Is there anything else I can do for you?”

“You can sit and keep me company, if you like,” said Sofi.

**~X~**

Mosasaur.

The creature was a freaking Mosasaur. Why hadn’t she considered it sooner? It was obvious now that the only creature capable of killing Anthony Barton and remaining under the water for hours at a time was a Mosasaur.

“How big did you say it was?” Sofi asked Connor. He and Abby had been attacked by the Mosasaur after it had targeted them during their time taking water samples.

Stephen and Nick had been searching the reservoir for the Anomaly, losing a Special Forces Diver in the process, and she had been researching with Jacobs.

“Maybe six or seven metres,” Connor answered. “Cretaceous, at a guess.”

“That sounds like a juvenile,” said Sofi, looking at Cutter.

“Yeah,” Cutter agreed. “Which is just as well for you,” he added, patting Connor on the shoulder. “Even at that size they are scary.”

Connor nodded. A flicker of fear crossed his face and he released a short breath. With a small smile in Sofi’s direction, Connor wandered away, passing Claudia as she approached.

“Did you do what I asked?” Nick asked.

Sofi nodded. “I still don’t understand why you wanted it, though,” she said. “What’s your theory?”

“Maybe the anomaly has a fixed point of origin in the past but somehow remains fluid in our time,” Cutter explained.

“So you think they don’t just open, they also move.”

Cutter nodded once.

Sofi looked thoughtful. It sounded like a reasonable theory, and was definitely something that she would look into later.

“How are they?” Cutter asked.

Sofi looked around to see that he was talking to Claudia, and looking in the direction of the Special Forces unit.

“They’re all really upset about losing the diver,” said Claudia.

“Understandable,” said Sofi. “Not only was he a friend. But according to Jayden the unit is like a family.”

Claudia smiled sadly. “Tell me exactly what happened,” she added to Cutter.

“Excuse me,” said Sofi, softly. She passed around Claudia and hurried up from the dock, heading straight towards Jayden, Shawn, and Jacobs. Being three of the youngest on the whole team, the loss seemed to hit them the hardest.

Jayden smiled and placed his arm around Sofi’s shoulders as she stopped beside him. “You okay?” he asked.

Sofi looked surprised. “Shouldn’t I be asking you that?” she asked him. “You just lost a member of your team.”

“Trying to take a leaf out of your book,” said Shawn.

“In what way?”

“That without a body there’s no evidence that he’s dead,” said Jayden. “I mean, that is what you believe, right?”

Sofi nodded, her gaze sweeping past Jacobs and landing on Ryan. He stood off to the side, talking to his second in command, but the look on his face was that of shock and… misery?

“Hey, you okay?” Shawn asked, nudging Sofi’s shoulder.

Jacobs looked around and spotted his Captain. He turned back to Sofi. “He takes it hard when one of his unit is hurt,” he explained.

“You know him personally?” Sofi asked.

“Yeah. My father served with him in Desert Storm,” Jacobs answered. “He speaks highly of Captain Ryan, frequently. Should’ve seen how proud he was when he learned I was going to serve under him. You’d think I’d solved world wars, or something.”

Jayden, Shawn, and Sofi smiled.

Then, Ryan glanced in their direction and Sofi looked away, instantly. She could feel his gaze on her before it was gone, and she looked back to see him talking, again, with his second in command.

“We should get out of here,” said Shawn. He looked out over the water. “The anomalies closed, and the creature’s gone back through. There’s nothing more for us to do here.”

“What will you guys do now?” Sofi asked. “Debrief, or something?”

“Probably,” Jayden nodded. “We’ll head back to the barracks, debrief. Honestly? I could use a drink after all this. Anyone want to join?” He looked specifically at Sofi.

Sofi looked surprised. “You want me to join you for a drink?” she asked.

“Why not? Unless you’ve got something better to do?” Jayden asked. “If you want, I can convince the Captain to tag along.” He chuckled. “That should be an interesting evening.”

“Shut up!” Sofi said, elbowing him in the chest.

As Jayden clutched his chest, still laughing, Ryan joined them at the edge of the dock. “Look lively, lads,” he said, addressing his men. “Start heading back to the barracks, yeah?”

Shawn and Jacobs nodded and headed away.

“You, too, Parker,” Ryan said, addressing Jayden.

Jayden smirked at Sofi and she glared at him, silently praying that he kept his mouth shut. But then, when was she ever that lucky? Jayden seemed hell bent on forcing her and Ryan into awkward positions, for some reason or another.

“Hey, Captain, after the debrief, Jacobs, Shawn, and I are taking Sofi out,” said Jayden. “Care to join us?”

“For the record,” Sofi said, quickly. “I didn’t even say yes to going out. I haven’t said anything!”

Jayden put his hand on her shoulder. “I’m volunteering you,” he said. “You’ll have fun. I promise.”

“I hate you,” Sofi muttered.

“So you keep saying,” Jayden said. He looked back to his Captain. “Think of it as a team building exercise. We’re all a part of the same team now, yeah? We could use this chance to get to know each other better. I mean, Sofi and I know a little about each other, like, for example, she’s afraid of Centipedes.”

“She’s not afraid of centipedes,” said Ryan.

Sofi and Jayden paused and stared at the Captain. He met Sofi’s gaze and cleared his throat, awkwardly.

“I mean, that is what you said, right?” Ryan asked.

“Uh, yeah,” Sofi nodded. “Also, for the record, being able to tolerate centipedes is different to actually being afraid of snakes,” she added, looking at Jayden.

Jayden shivered. “You’re afraid of something,” he said. “I’ll figure it out by the end of tonight.”

“I’m sure you will,” said Sofi, grinning.

“Challenge accepted.”

Sofi rolled her eyes and looked over at Ryan. “This was his idea,” she said, earning herself Ryan’s attention. “I didn’t agree to it, and I don’t expect you too, either, especially after everything that has happened today. But, could you at least give me some tips on how to survive?”

“Hey!” Jayden cried.

“I am not agreeing to go out with you unless I can guarantee that I am going to make it home at the end of the night,” said Sofi.

“You’re mean,” Jayden said, poking her shoulder.

“Stop it!” Sofi muttered, swatting his hand away.

Ryan smiled and chuckled.

“Parker, let’s go!” SAS second-in-command, Graham Jake called from the SUV. He was waving to the young cadet who had yet to leave Sofi’s side. It was almost like he was determined to hear Ryan’s decision before he headed back to base.

“I think you better go,” said Sofi. “He may actually push you in the reservoir.”

“You’d love that, wouldn’t you?”

“I’d pay to see it,” Sofi teased.

Jayden scowled at her and nudged her towards the edge of the dock. He grabbed her arm as she teetered close to the edge and held her carefully on the wooden platform. “Whatever. I’ll message you with the details later,” he said, releasing Sofi’s arm and heading back to the parking lot.

Sofi waved him off as Graham’s shouts of “Move it! Move it! Move it!” echoed in the air. She giggled as she watched Jayden jog the rest of the way, and climb into the back beside Shawn and Jacobs.

“You picked an interesting cadet to befriend,” said Ryan, watching Sofi.

“Technically I didn’t pick him,” Sofi replied, turning her attention back to the Captain. “We were thrown together, literally, by a Gorgonopsid.”

Ryan looked considerate. “True,” he agreed.

A silence fell between them and Sofi bit the inside of her lip. “I’m sorry about your diver,” she said. “I didn’t really know him, but… I’m sure he was a great soldier.”

“Thanks,” said Ryan. He paused, staring at Sofi. “I couldn’t help but overhear the others when they said they had taken a page from your book. Something about not believing that Robinson was dead because there was no body as evidence.”

Sofi nodded. “Yeah, about that…” she said, awkwardly. “What I mean is… I don’t believe anyone is gone, until there is a body to confirm it. So, Robinson could just be trapped on the other side of the anomaly, waiting for it to reopen.”

“But you can’t be sure of that.”

“Well, no, of course not,” said Sofi, cocking her head to the side. “But, I’d rather see the glass as half full rather than half empty.”

Ryan smiled. “You’re an optimist,” he said.

Sofi grinned and shrugged. “Yeah. That’s one way of looking at it,” she said. “I always try to look on the better side of things, see the good in people, that sort of stuff. It’s also why I tend to defend the creatures, if I can.”

“Like those spiders.”

“Yeah, I didn’t mean to snap at you about them,” Sofi apologised. “I know you were just being protective of your unit. I get that. Admire it, even.”

Ryan nodded and looked around. The dock had emptied of almost all SAS units, even the Home Office scientist had left, along with Claudia Brown and Nick Cutter. Stephen Hart, Abby Maitland, and Connor Temple lingered, but even they were heading their separate ways.

Sofi had also noticed that only she and Ryan were one of the last two left. “I should get going,” she said, stepping away. “If Jayden is serious about tonight, then I have work to finish before I get ready. Bye, Captain.”

“Hey, Wyatt?” Ryan called as Sofi headed towards her car.

“Yeah?” Sofi asked, turning back.

“Survival tip number 1,” said Ryan. “Have an escape plan. Parker likes to drink, if you’re not careful, he’ll have you out all night.”

Sofi bit the inside of her lip. “It’s a shame you’re not going, Captain,” she said. “Maybe you could’ve been my escape plan. We could’ve even continued this conversation.”

Ryan scoffed and grinned, despite himself as Sofi reached her car. He watched as she dumped her things into the back and then slid into the driver’s seat.

There was definitely something about this girl that he wouldn’t have minded getting to know better. 

**~X~**

Toby’s booming bark echoed from downstairs as someone hammered on the loft door. Sofi moved away from her wardrobe and leaned over the railing separating her bedroom from the rest of the house. She could see Toby standing in front of the door, as Figaro sat on the back of the sofa, licking his paw,

“It’s open!” Sofi called. She waited and watched as the door slid open revealing Jayden and, much to her surprise, Captain Ryan on the other side. She frowned as Jayden waltzed into the room and plopped himself down on her couch.

Jayden wedged himself between the back of the sofa and the left arm, and looked around the place. He gave a low whistle. “Wow. This place is super cool,” he said. He spotted the evidence board at the back of the room, and looked up at Sofi. “You’re not some conspiracy nut, are you?”

“Would I be a part of the Anomaly Research team if I were?” Sofi asked. She was leaning against the railing, still, looking down from her bedroom. From the corner of her eye, she saw Ryan slide her door closed and stand, silently, beside it.

Ryan, Sofi noticed, was wearing dark jeans, a button up dark shirt with a black jacket thrown over the top. He looked good, in Sofi’s opinion.

“So what’s with the evidence board?” Jayden asked, jerking his head towards the item in question.

Sofi considered him thoughtfully and then decided to change the subject. “Why are you here, Jayden?” she asked. “I thought the plan was you were going to text me the details, and I’d meet you wherever you chose?”

“Would you believe me if I said I missed you?” Jayden asked, grinning.

“I saw you less than two hours ago,” said Sofi. “So no.”

“Damn!” Jayden muttered. He adjusted himself on the sofa, tucking his leg underneath him and leaning his head back so he could see her better. “Well, I could tell your heart wasn’t really into going out tonight, and I wouldn’t have put it past you to bring your Mustang, giving you the excuse not to drink, and an easy, not to mention early escape.”

Sofi rolled her eyes. Was she really that readable?

“So, I thought I would come escort you,” said Jayden. “You know, being the gentleman that I am.”

Sofi snorted. “If you’re a gentleman then I’m the Queen of Sheba,” she said.

“Your majesty,” Jayden mocked, pretending to tip his hat at her.

Sofi rolled her eyes and glanced over at Ryan. “I thought you weren’t coming?” she asked him.

Ryan seemed surprised that she was talking to him. He pondered her question and then shrugged. “Figured I’d take you up on the offer of being your escape plan,” he said.

“Right,” said Sofi.

Jayden frowned, looking between them. “Wait, what escape plan?” he asked. “Are you both planning on leaving early? What happened to team bonding?”

“I would hardly call getting drunk team bonding, Jayden,” said Sofi. “Sure, you’re more likely to say something you wouldn’t honestly say when you’re sober, but I would like to remember what I say. Plus, it’s been nearly a year since I went out for drinks. I don’t think I have a tolerance for it anymore.”

“When was this?” Jayden asked.

“When my best friend moved to New Zealand,” Sofi answered. She pushed away from the railing and stepped back into her bedroom, rustling through her wardrobe for the last of her outfit. She had already decided on what she was going to wear - she had decided to go with something casual, not glitzy.

Once she was satisfied with her choice, Sofi grabbed her clothes and headed downstairs. She stopped outside her bathroom and looked back at the two men in her loft.

“You’re not even ready!” Jayden exclaimed. “Are you one of these women that take hours to get ready? Because Jacobs just messaged me saying he and Shawn are waiting on us.”

“If you had text me the details, as planned, then I would’ve had a time to be ready for,” said Sofi. “Don’t touch anything,” she added to him, and him alone, as she disappeared into the bathroom. Locking the door behind her.

Jayden huffed and flopped back against the sofa. He looked up as Figaro padded his way across the back towards him, and jumped down into his lap. He then lifted his gaze to his Captains. “Do you ever relax?” he asked. “I mean, Sofi’s not going to bite if you come in, you know?”

“Mind your manners, Parker,” Ryan said. But he had to admit that the kid was right. He was still acting like a Captain of the SAS, not a normal bloke spending a night with friends. But then, those he was with tonight were just kids, there was at least a twenty-year age gap between them - Jayden was twenty-two, Shawn was twenty-three, Jacobs was twenty-one, and Sofi was the youngest at nineteen.

Who was he kidding? The only reason he had agreed to come tonight was so that he could spend more time around Sofi without the whole work boundaries getting in the way. Sure, she may have been a teenager, but there was something about her that made him want to spend time with her, away from the anomalies and creatures they spewed out.

But, he was also aware that if it hadn’t have been for the anomalies then he most probably would never have met her.  
Ryan was snapped out of thoughts by the reopening of the bathroom door. He looked up as Sofi stepped back into the room, and he looked her up and down, his gaze trailing up her legs, over her hips, her chest, her neck, and finally stopping on her face.

He swallowed and tried to avert his gaze, but he couldn’t. She was just mesmerising. Her clothing choice wasn’t that much different to the choices she made when she was chasing anomalies and ancient creatures, but this time, for some reason, she seemed to stand out a lot more. Maybe it was because this was her home, and she was the only female currently present, or maybe it was because whenever she was around he felt like an adolescent school boy with a crush.

Jayden whistled as he looked Sofi over, and Ryan resisted the urge to snap at him. Sofi was wearing white skinny jeans that hugged her legs and showed off her curves, it was matched perfectly with a trendy, casual, and comfortable off the shoulder blue top, a long pendent hung around her neck, and block heel lace up back thigh-high grey boots. She wore no makeup, but she didn’t need too, she was naturally beautiful without it. To complete her look she had thrown her long red hair up into a messy high ponytail, and despite it needing to be ‘messy’ Ryan couldn’t help but think it looked beautiful.

Ryan cleared his throat and Sofi gave a start. She met his gaze, blushed, and quickly looked away.

“You look amazing,” Jayden said. “If that’s your casual drinks get-up, I definitely want to see what you look like on an actual night out.”

Sofi squeezed her eyes shut tight. “Can we go?” she asked. “Before I change my mind about this whole thing? I’m starting to feel self-conscious.”

“Yes!” said Jayden, jumping to his feet. He grabbed Sofi’s wrist and pulled her towards the door. “No feeling self-conscious. You look amazing.” He grasped a set of keys from behind the door, and then pushed Sofi out the door.

Ryan followed and Jayden slid the door closed, locked it, and then pocketed the keys.

Sofi raised an eyebrow and held out her hand.

“Fine,” said Jayden. He handed over the keys and Sofi tucked them into her back pocket. “I was only keeping them safe.”

“Sure,” said Sofi. “You keeping my keys also means that I can’t escape early and come home.”

Jayden muttered under his breath and strode past. He headed down the flight of stairs to Sofi’s entrance door and stepped out into the early evening air.

“He’s determined you don’t leave early, isn’t he?” Ryan asked.

“Yeah, I noticed that, too,” said Sofi. She turned to Ryan and smiled. “Thanks, by the way.”

Ryan cocked his head to the side. “What for?” he asked.

“For playing my knight,” Sofi answered. “I can tell you don’t want to be here anymore than I do. You don’t look as self-conscious as I feel, but you have this sort of… out of place look about you.”

“So, not only are you an optimist but you’ve also got amazing observational skills,” said Ryan, leading her out onto the street. They spotted Jayden walking ahead. The plan was to walk to the bar of Jayden’s choice, so no one had an excuse not to drink that evening.

Sofi smiled as she locked the main entrance behind her. She wasn’t the only person to live in the building, she just had the topmost flat since it was the biggest, and it was also why her main entrance was at the side of the building rather than the front.

“Is there nothing you aren’t good at?” Ryan asked.

Sofi shrugged. “Depends on your definition,” she answered. “I’m good at my job, I’m good at researching ancient prehistoric creatures, and I have an adequate ability in making friends. I’m not so good at sports?”

Ryan chuckled and fell into step beside her as they followed Jayden towards the main street. He wasn’t walking too far ahead, and could still see and hear them, so they couldn’t escape just yet, but he was more preoccupied with talking on his phone than he was with them.

Sofi smiled. She had to admit that she loved hearing the Captain laugh, even seeing him smile made her feel fluttery. Especially when he was smiling at her, or laughing at something she had said.

“I’m more of a logical person,” said Sofi. “A learner. What about you? Anything you can’t do, Captain?”

"My name's Tom. You can call me that, or Ryan, whichever you prefer, for tonight."

Sofi considered him for a minute and then smiled. “I think I’ll stick with Captain,” she said. “It suits you.”

Ryan stared at her. She was flirting with him. It didn’t take a genius to figure that out. Was it possible she knew of his growing affection for her? Or did she like him as much as he liked her? Ryan felt his heart skip a beat at the possibility of his feelings being reciprocated. 

“Have it your way, Wyatt,” he said.

Sofi smirked and in that second, she knew she had met her match.

**~X~**

The next morning, Sofi awoke to a text message from Cutter saying that another anomaly had opened up on the fault line, and a body had come through. Up until that moment she had been optimistic that the SAS soldier that she knew to be Robinson was alive, but after reading that he turned up dead was heart wrenching.

After receiving the message, Sofi tore around her house getting ready for the day ahead. She made sure Toby and Figaro were fed, completed her morning bathroom routine, and then raced up to her bedroom to dress - a plaid double straps corset tank top, along with a pair of butterfly pattern faux denim leggings, complete with a pair of trainers and her favourite long sleeved draped cardigan.

“See you later, guys!” Sofi called to Toby and Figaro as she ran from the loft, grabbing her backpack and laptop bag from the table in the process.  
It took around twenty-minutes for Sofi to reach the scene of the anomaly, and she wasn’t at all surprised to find the place overrun with SAS soldiers. She quickly parked her car opposite the house in question, and jumped out as Jayden ambled over to her. Despite looking severely hungover, he looked distraught and, if Sofi was reading him right, a little angry.

“You said he’d be okay!” Jayden accused, loudly.

Sofi frowned and backed up into her car as Jayden looked over her. He literally two feet taller than her, and made her feel incredibly small. “What are you talking about?” she asked.

“You said Robinson would be alright,” Jayden repeated. “You said he was probably waiting for the anomaly to reopen so that he could come back through. Does that look alright to you, Sofi?!” he pointed angrily over his shoulder.

Sofi didn’t need to look. The car directly outside the house in question had Robinson’s body in the back. “Jayden, I -” she started. She could understand his grief, and his anger, but it was directed at the wrong person. She hadn’t said that Robinson would be alright, she hadn't said that he would survive. What she had said was that she didn’t believe him to be dead until a body was recovered.

“YOU SAID!” Jayden shouted. He reached out and caught hold of Sofi by the shoulders, shaking her slightly in his frustration and anger.

Sofi squeaked and instinctively curled her shoulders forward and ducked her head aside. She didn’t blame Jayden for his actions, but she hadn’t expected him to physically grip her, either.

“Unhand her, Parker!” Captain Ryan ordered. He had been drawn to the issue by Jayden’s shout, and had immediately decided to step in.

Jayden released Sofi and took a step back. Sofi could tell by the look on his face that he was sorry, but if he was anything like the man she knew him to be, an apology wouldn’t make up for his actions. She didn’t care though, she forgave him no matter what.

“Get back to work,” Ryan ordered Jayden.

Jayden bowed his head and walked away.

Once he was gone, Ryan turned back to Sofi. “Are you alright?” he asked.

“Yeah. He’s angry that’s all,” said Sofi. “He didn’t mean that.”

“I’m sure he didn’t,” Ryan said, nodding. “But the fact of the matter is, he shouldn’t have touched you like that. It’s not your fault Robinson is dead.”

Sofi licked her lips and glanced across at Jayden. “No, but I feel like I did give him false hope,” she said.

“How?” Ryan asked, confused.

“By telling him that without a body, Robinson could still have been alive.”

Ryan shook his head and placed a hand on Sofi’s shoulder. “You didn’t kill Robinson, actually, no one killed him,” he explained.

“Creature?”

Again, Ryan shook his head. “It looked like he died of shock,” he said.

Sofi frowned. “But that doesn’t make sense,” she said.

“What do you mean?”

“You can confirm that he died of shock,” said Sofi. “An autopsy can confirm that. But, what? Did he swim through the anomaly, realise his mistake and just… die?” she shook her head. “And then what? His body just floated in the middle of a cretaceous sea, with hundreds of thousands of predators, some of which would eat anything they came in contact with, until the anomaly reopened and he floated back through?”

Ryan listened carefully to her rant, realising very easily that she made a good point.

“Did he have anything on him?” Sofi asked. “When he came back through? Did he have anything on his person?”

“A handkerchief with the initials H.C.,” Ryan answered.

Sofi stared at Ryan her mind calculating the information, and then her eyes widened. “H.C. - Helen Cutter,” she whispered.

**~X~**

After Nick had confirmed that his wife, Helen, was in fact still alive and had been, on several occasions, trying to contact him through the anomalies, Sofi stood in the living room of the Dexter Household. She wasn’t alone in the living room, she stood beside her Professor Nick Cutter and Stephen Hart, along with Abby Maitland, Connor Temple, Captain Ryan, and Home Office agents Claudia Brown and James Lester.

Sofi had heard a lot about this James Lester, and from the minute he had walked into the Dexter home she was sure she didn’t like him. He had an air of sarcasm and disdain about him, it was obvious that he didn’t appreciate being called into the field, clearly having not spent a single second on field duty as opposed to being stuck behind a desk his entire life.

James Lester stood directly opposite Sofi. His arms folded and a scowl etched into his features that made Sofi wonder if he ever looked any different? The atmosphere was tense, as James stared at Professor Cutter with a look of disapproval, like a school teacher disciplining a naughty student.

Sofi wouldn’t laughed at the irony had the situation not been serious.

“The revelation that Helen Cutter is still alive changes everything,” Lester said, breaking the uneasy silence. 

“She’s still alive?” Connor interrupted. “Um, how did I miss that?”

“It’s a long story,” said Claudia. Sofi noticed how Lester glanced her way, almost applaud that she would even consider talking to someone like Connor.

“So eight years she’s been living in the past?” Connor continued. “My God. How are we going to explain Celebrity Love Island to her?”

“Shut up, Connor,” Claudia said, firmly.

Realising the priority of the situation, Connor clamped his mouth shut and backed down.

“She’s eight years ahead of us in terms of understanding the anomalies,” Lester continued. “Her knowledge could be priceless and we have to share it.”

“Which is fine if she was here, but she isn’t,” Stephen said.

“Which is why we’re going to go and find her,” Lester told him.

Sofi perked up and cast a glance behind her at Stephen. The look on his face mirrored the way she felt. If Helen had disappeared through the anomalies for eight years, and not come back, even going as far as to let her family and friends believe she was dead, why would she want to come back now?

“We know she wants to make contact. She must be brought back here, by force if necessary,” Lester said.

Sofi scoffed. “Right. Because forcing someone to do something against their will always works out in the end,” she said. “Besides, this isn’t some animal that you can coerce into doing what you want. Helen Cutter is a human being, she has free will.”

“And she’s my wife,” Cutter said, placing a comforting hand on Sofi’s shoulder.

“Which is why I want you to go through the anomaly and bring her back,” Lester said, his voice dropping to a lower note.

Sofi stared at Lester. She could understand his reasoning for sending Cutter through the anomaly. Helen was more likely to comply if it were her husband asking her to help.

“You will, of course, have a military escort,” Lester added.

Sofi caught Ryan’s eye. He stood behind Lester, and had yet to say anything from the minute Lester had arrived.

“To do what?” Cutter asked. “Shoot her if she won’t come back?”

“To protect you. Both of you,” Lester explained. “The alternative is that you sever all ties with the anomaly project with immediate effect, and we’ll go and find her ourselves.”

Tearing her gaze away from Ryan, Sofi looked around at Cutter. Neither idea was a good one, and she knew he would agree. But she just couldn’t see the anomaly research team with him, despite what Lester said, Cutter was the head of their team. He was the Professor, and they were the students.

“Okay,” Cutter said, nodding slowly. “On one condition. I go on my own. There is no question of force. I’ll do my best, but if she doesn’t want to come back, then that’s it.”

“How can we trust you?” Claudia asked, her tone almost accusing.

Nick looked at her, surprised.

“Oh, I’m sure Professor Cutter won’t let us down again,” Lester assured Claudia, although he didn’t sound very reassuring, but almost as accusing as Claudia had done. 

Sofi stared at the floor as Lester headed for the door. He paused and turned back to Cutter. “You will try to remember what side you’re on, won’t you?” he asked, before leaving completely.

Claudia followed after him.

Sofi avoided Ryan’s gaze, she could feel it on the side of her head but she refused to look at him. She knew this wasn’t his fault, but he could’ve at least stepped up and said something in defence of Cutter. After everything Cutter had done for the team, he deserved more than just her, Stephen, Connor, and Abby in his corner.

Ryan sighed and left the room shortly after Claudia and Lester, leaving the Anomaly team alone.

“This isn’t fair,” said Sofi, finally. She lifted her head and turned to Cutter. “You shouldn’t be forced to choose between this team and your wife. These anomalies hold answers to why she disappeared in the first place, and you have to choose between forcing her to do something she doesn’t want to do or walk away from those answers? It’s not fair.”

Cutter smiled and squeezed Sofi’s shoulder. “This isn’t over, Sof,” he said. “Not by a long shot.”

Sofi smiled briefly, and nodded.

**~X~**

Cutter adjusted his wetsuit as Stephen fiddled around with the oxygen tank on his back. He was standing waist deep in water, in the basement of the Dexter house. It had been almost half an hour since his lecture from James Lester, and he was preparing for his journey through the anomaly.

Only this time he was going alone.

“Okay, you’ve got about an hour of air and a mile of rope,” said Stephen, leaning back onto the gangway that had been created above the water level. It was covered in a waterproof tarp given all the splashing and spillages that had occurred with each soldier getting in and out of the water. “Take a compass reference as soon as you get there, and just stay attached. After two hours we’ll reel you back in.”

Cutter nodded and dunked his goggles under the water to clear them.

“I spoke to Sofi, and she says that the water pressure inside the anomaly is going to be intense,” said Stephen. “So the harder you swim, the more air you’re going to use.”

“Okay,” Cutter nodded. He trusted Sofi’s analysis of the anomaly, and the pressure of the water flowing in and out of it.

“Now this has an effective range of about ten metres,” said Stephen, putting down the rope and picking up a bolt. “If you have to use it against a predator, wait until you see the whites of its teeth.”

Cutter chuckled and nodded. He looked up as footsteps rattled the wooden staircase leading to the rest of the house, and smiled as Sofi came into view. He could see the worry in her eyes, despite her face being complacent.

“All set?” Sofi asked.

“Yep,” Cutter said. “Wish me luck.”

Sofi forced a smile and squatted down beside the staircase, resting against the frame for support. She wanted to wish him luck, but found that she couldn’t. All she could do was smile and hope for the best.

The stairs vibrated behind her, and Sofi half-glanced over her shoulder as Ryan approached from behind. He was accompanied by Claudia.

“See you soon, alright?” Cutter said, nodding at Sofi.

“Yeah,” Sofi replied, quietly. She may have argued that forcing Helen back through the anomaly against her will was a mistake, but she didn’t agree on Cutter going through to alone. She didn’t want him getting hurt, which is what was bound to happen seeing as he didn’t have backpack.

With one last fleeting glance at his student, Cutter submerged himself beneath the water and tread water through the anomaly.

Sofi chewed her lower lip as she watched him. The water around the anomaly sloshed in four different directions, crashing against appliances and causing ripples in the surface. Then Cutter disappeared completely, and Sofi shared a look with Stephen.

From here on out, Cutter was on his own.

Sofi wasn’t sure how long she sat on the stairs, just staring at the anomaly. She was supposed to have been upstairs with Connor trying to figure out how the six foot Mosasaur had managed to get from the Swimming pool where Anthony Barton had been killed, to the Reservoir and then finally to here; if this even was the same anomaly, they weren’t entirely sure as a Mosasaur hadn’t come through yet.

“Hey.”

Sofi looked up as Ryan’s hand nudged her leg. She blinked and looked around, noticing that it was just she and him in the basement. “Where’d Stephen go?” she asked.

“To check in upstairs,” Ryan answered. He glanced at the anomaly, then at the rope, and finally turned his attention back to Sofi. “I’m sorry about earlier,” he said.

Sofi frowned before she realised he was referring to the meeting with Lester. She sighed and shook her head. “Forget it,” she said. “It wasn’t your fault. I need to remember that you’re just following orders, and despite what’s happening between us, it can’t interfere with the job.”

“What is happening between us, Sofi?” Ryan asked. Ever since getting to know each other last night, things had shifted in their dynamic. They were more open and a lot more closer than they had been yesterday morning. He had learned a lot about her the night before, and she him. He had even pulled through on his promise of being her early escape plan, and rescued her from Jayden when things got too wild for her liking.

Sofi considered his words carefully, before shaking her head. “I don’t know,” she whispered.

Ryan looked like he wanted to say something. But before he could, the sound of heavy footsteps echoed upstairs, and Stephen appeared seconds later. He thundered down the wooden steps and crossed the gangplank back to his original place on Ryan’s right.

Sofi sighed and cast her gaze away from Ryan’s, locking it onto Stephen. “What is it?” she asked, noticing the tension in his eyes.

“Connor figured out that the fault line you discovered could be running through the drainage system,” Stephen said. “He believes that if a creature could get in there, then it could go anywhere.”

“But the creatures and anomalies are two different things,” said Sofi. “Sure, if the creature could get into the drainage system then it could go anywhere it wanted, but the anomalies aren’t solid masses, they’re just energy.”

“What are you saying?” Ryan asked, he was clearly confused, and Sofi couldn’t blame him. She wasn’t making a whole lot of sense.

Sofi took a deep breath. “It’s like Professor Cutter said. The anomalies probably have a fixed point somewhere in the past, but remain fluid in our time. Meaning, they don’t just open, they also move. This is why we’ve had three different locations leading back to the same epoch - the Cretaceous.”

Stephen and Ryan nodded as Sofi continued to ramble.

“What if…” Sofi faltered, her eyes widening at the thought. Her tongue licked her lips, wetting them, and she lowered her gaze to the gangplank. Trying to make sense of her next words. “What if… where the Professor has gone is actually here all those years ago?” She looked up at the two men staring at her. “What if he has gone back to now, but only then?”

Stephen cocked his head to the side. “So, you think that the fluidness of this anomaly,” he pointed to the glittering mass of energy, “is looking for its fixed point here in the present?”

Sofi nodded. “It would make sense why it’s opened in three different locations,” she said. “The fault line is just a prediction. It could’ve opened up anywhere along it, but it opened here. What if this is its fixed point?”

“Connected through time?” Ryan asked. He was still trying to make sense of the whole conversation.

“Hmm,” said Sofi, nodding.

“How can we prove this?” Stephen asked.

Sofi shrugged. “I can’t,” she said. “Not until he comes back with a compass reference.”

The trio sighed and looked back at the anomaly.

**~X~**

After sitting the waterlogged basement for over an hour, Sofi headed upstairs and out into the garden of the Dexter house. She looked around and spotted Jayden, Shawn, and Jacobs nearby, patrolling the perimeter. They were wearing their civilian clothing, as not to cause mass panic to the rest of the street.

“Hey,” Sofi said, smiling as she walked over to the trio. “How you guys doing?”

“Been better,” said Jacobs. “You okay?”

Sofi nodded. “Yeah. Just don’t like this whole ‘Cutter without backup on the other side of anomaly’ deal,” she said. “I know he chose to go by himself, and I respect his decision, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it.”  
Jacobs smiled and squeezed her in a side hug. “On another note, did you enjoy last night?” he asked.

“Yeah. It was fun was fun watching you guys sing karaoke,” said Sofi, grinning. “I mean, you were terrible, don’t get me wrong. But it was fun to see you try.”

Jacobs blushed and Shawn cleared his throat awkwardly.

“Yeah, I don’t remember that,” said Shawn. “Are you sure?”

“Oh, yeah, I’m sure,” said Sofi. She fished her phone out of her pocket, opened her videos and selected one of the thumbnails. She opened it and showed the three soldiers.

Shawn’s eyes widened and Sofi snapped the phone shut. “Please tell me that’s the only copy?” he asked.  
Sofi bit her lower lip and grinned. “Maybe,” she drawled. “But then, I wasn’t the only one recording you last night. A few other locals were doing it, too, and Captain Ryan also witnessed your display.”

“Oh man,” Shawn groaned.

Sofi laughed and patted his arm sympathetically. “Tell me, how you felt this morning?” she asked.

“I’m guessing by the grin, a whole lot worse than you did,” said Jacobs.

Shawn run a hand over his face. “How can such a tiny body handle so much alcohol and not get a hangover?” he asked, looking Sofi over.

“I have a secret weapon,” said Sofi. “I tried to get you guys to do it last night, but you wouldn’t listen.”

“Oh yeah, what’s that?” Shawn asked.

“Water.”

Jacobs laughed. He vaguely remembered Sofi trying to coax him to drink some water in between pints, but he hadn’t listened. Now he wished he had.

As Jacobs and Shawn relieved their painful hangover mornings, Sofi glanced at Jayden. He hadn’t said a word to her, or even looked in her general direction since she had walked over. She could tell he was feeling guilty about earlier, and she wanted him to know that it wasn’t his fault.

“Hey, guys, do you mind if I talk to Jayden alone?” Sofi asked Shawn and Jacobs.

They both nodded and walked away.

Jayden sighed and tried to turn his body away from Sofi’s but she stopped him by grabbing his arm. “Sof, please, don’t…” he whispered.

“Don’t what?” Sofi asked.

“Forget it,” said Jayden, shaking his head.

Sofi planted herself in front of Jayden and reached up, cupping his face in her hand and forcing him to look at her. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I’m sorry for giving you false hope. I’m sorry for suggesting that Robinson could make it back alive. I’m sorry for making you think I lied to you. Jayden, I’m sorry!”

Jayden relaxed, visibly, and reached up to hold her wrist. “You have nothing to be sorry for,” he said. “You were just being yourself, and I blew up at you. I’m the one who should be sorry.”

“Apology accepted,” said Sofi, smiling.

“But it doesn’t make up for what I did,” said Jayden. “I grabbed you, Sof. Physically.”

“You didn’t hurt me,” said Sofi. She peeled aside her cardigan to show Jayden her shoulders. “See? No bruises. What I saw in you this morning was frustration, not anger. You were frustrated at the loss of your team mate. Grief will make you do stupid things, Jayden.”

Jayden’s shoulders sagged and Sofi reached up to wrap her arms around him. She felt him tense, and then his left arm snake around her waist, holding her close and as tight as possible. Neither of them were sure how long they stood, holding each other, but they were soon separated by shouts from the house.

Withdrawing, Sofi looked around and her eyes widened as she saw Cutter being wheeled out of the Dexter house on a stretcher. He was taken to the nearest ambulance as Connor and Abby followed behind him.

“Go,” said Jayden. He released Sofi and nudged her in Cutter’s direction.

Sofi nodded and hurried across the road, stopping outside the doors to the ambulance. Cutter was lying inside the bad with Abby at his side, as Connor milled around outside.

“What happened?” Sofi asked.

“We don’t know the whole story,” said Abby.

Sofi looked worriedly at her Professor. She checked her watch and noticed it had been a complete two hours since he had originally gone through the anomaly. Had he come back on his own? Had something happened while he had been in the past? Had Helen even been there waiting for him? These were all questions that only Cutter could answer.

After a few minutes, Cutter groaned and sat up. He pressed a hand to his head and closed his eyes for a few more seconds, allowing them to adjust. “What happened?” he asked, looking up and spotting three of his team staring at him, concerned.

“We were hoping you could tell us,” said Sofi.

“How long have I been out?” Cutter asked, looking around for a clock.

“Not long,” Abby answered.

Cutter sighed and shook his head, gently. He then carefully got to his feet and headed towards the open doors.

“Woah, where are you going?” Sofi asked.

“I need to talk to Claudia,” Cutter answered.

“Cutter, there’s something you should know,” said Abby, following behind the Professor. She braced herself against the opening as Sofi supported Cutter out of the back of the ambulance.

They hadn’t even made it two steps towards the Dexter house when multiple shouts of “Stay still!” and “Stay where you are!” echoed from all around the street. SAS soldiers raced towards them, their guns drawn and pointed at the group of four.

Sofi’s eyes widened as she caught sight of Jayden. He had tried to intercept, but had been stopped by Graham.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Jayden yelled. He was gesturing wildly in Sofi’s direction, but Graham merely shook his head and pushed Jayden back.

Then, from the corner of her eye, Sofi saw movement from the Dexter household. She felt her jaw drop as James Lester emerged from the front door, followed closely by Captain Ryan, and behind them came Shawn and Jacobs, supporting a waterlogged and struggling Helen Cutter between them.

Sofi felt Nick stiffen beside her, and she couldn’t blame him. He had gone through to ask his wife for help on the anomaly problem, but he hadn’t planned on being set up by Lester and Home Office, although he should’ve seen this coming.

Looking around wildly, Helen gaze locked with her husbands, and she threw him a hard glare. It was obvious that she blamed him for this.

The look lasted only a second as Helen Cutter was forced into the back of an SUV, the doors closed with a snap, and then the car drove off down the street.

“They set us up,” said Sofi, glaring at the car that Lester and Claudia had just stepped into. She turned to Nick as the car disappeared at the corner of the street. “They set you up!”

Nick didn’t look at his student. He didn’t need to, to know that she was right.


	4. Parasitic Deception

Sofi rolled her neck back and forth across her shoulders as she stood between Jayden and Shawn outside the interrogation room at Home Office. On the other side of the two-way glass sat Helen Cutter, opposite of her were Home Office officials Claudia Brown and James Lester.

The previous afternoon, Helen had been forced through an anomaly from the late Cretaceous period by Military personnel, and into what Sofi could only image felt like a cage. Helen Cutter had been gallivanting through anomalies for eight years, so to be stuck inside a government building couldn't have been more suffocating.

"Have you been home yet?" Jayden asked, glancing at Sofi. He hadn't been aware of the plan to bring Helen Cutter back, no matter the cost. He had been just as surprised to see half his team holding Sofi at gunpoint, and even tried to intervene. He had, obviously, been unsuccessful.

Sofi nodded. "Didn't stay long," she said. "Managed to sort Toby and Figaro out, change my clothes, and recharge my phone."

"Why are you here, anyway?" Shawn asked. He, unfortunately, had known about the operation to bring Helen Cutter back to the 21st century. He hadn't been happy with it, but he had been following orders. His friendship with Sofi didn't matter.

"Professor Cutter wants me to observe his wife," Sofi answered. "He wants to see if I can pick up any patterns in her behaviour during the interview."

"Why?"

Sofi shrugged. "I guess we'll find out," she replied.

"So he wants you to profile his wife?" Jayden asked.

"I profile everything else," said Sofi. "So, why not?"

Jayden and Shawn shared a look over Sofi's head, just as the interrogation began beyond the glass.

_"Presumably there are still laws against kidnapping?"_  Helen asked before anyone else had a chance. Sofi couldn't blame her or blame the question. She had, without a doubt, been kidnapped by the government.

_"Mmm. Though officially, you're dead,"_  James Lester replied, consulting the file in front of him.  _"We can't have kidnapped someone who doesn't actually exist, can we?"_

Helen didn't reply and her behaviour changed only slightly. Sofi pursed her lips as she watched the older woman carefully. She knew quite a bit about Helen Cutter, not just from what Nick and Stephen had told her, but from her work. Every paper Helen had published, Sofi had read it. Drinking in the words and forming her own ideas and theories.

The woman had been - was - an idol to Sofi.

_"The only way you get out of here is by telling us everything you know about the anomalies,"_ said Lester.

_"I'll tell you one thing,"_  said Helen, leaning forward on the table. _"You're the spitting image of a Utahraptor I once met in the Jurassic."_

Sofi scoffed as she smirked.

"Utahraptor?" Shawn questioned.

Sofi pulled out her phone and quickly search for an image of a Utahraptor, showing it to Shawn.

"So, the Raptors in Jurassic Park?" Shawn asked.

"Yep. Except, the real things were a lot smaller than them," Sofi answered.

Jayden furrowed his brow. "Hang on, Alan Grant called those dinosaurs Velociraptors," he said. "How can they be the same thing?"

"Because of Micheal Crichton's presentation of 'fiction as fact'," Sofi answered. "That book may have been based on real-life information taken from Archaeological digs and Dinosaur fossils, but none of it would hold any value in the real world."

"Woah, you read the Jurassic Park movie?" Jayden asked.

Sofi closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "It was a book first," she said.

"But, basically everything in the book and the movie is all fake?" Shawn asked.

"Yep," said Sofi, nodding

Beyond the glass, the interrogation continued.

"Sir?"

Sofi, Shawn, and Jayden turned as an even younger military cadet entered the room. He was carrying a small slip of paper, which he handed to Jayden.

"Thanks," Jayden said, opening the slip and then closing it again. He passed behind Sofi and Shawn, entering the interrogation room and handing the paper to Claudia.

Shawn and Sofi shared a look.

_"I'll take that as a refusal to cooperate, shall I?"_  Lester asked. He was still engaged with Helen, almost completely oblivious to everything else that was going on around him.

Sofi watched as Claudia sighed and set the paper down on the table.  _"It seems we have another one,"_  she said.  _"In a block of flats in the city centre."_

_"Happy now?"_

The edges of Helen's lips curved upwards, not a lot, but enough for her to inadvertently smirk at Lester.

Sofi watched her, curiously.

**~X~**

Over an hour later, Sofi felt a hand brush against her back. She turned and smiled at Captain Ryan. "False alarm?" she asked.

"How did you guess?" Ryan asked.

"She told me," Sofi said, nodding at Helen.

Ryan frowned. "She told you?" he asked, confused.

Sofi smiled at his confusion. She hadn't actually been into the interrogation room to speak with Helen, although she would've probably jumped at the chance to do so. "She didn't use her words, to be exact," she said. "But her body language shifted when Claudia mentioned the location. She seemed relaxed, almost cocky, like..."

"She knew..." said Ryan.

"Yep," said Sofi, nodding. She turned her attention away from Ryan, and back onto Helen. The older scientist was staring at Lester, the same cocky smirk on her lips that had been there since Claudia had announced a possible anomaly.

The door opened at the back of the room, and Sofi became aware of Jayden's return. He stood at her left shoulder, flanking her along with Ryan.

"Anything new?" Jayden asked.

"Since the last two minutes, you text me?" Sofi asked.

Jayden smiled, sheepishly. "Sorry," he apologised.

Sofi lightly shook her head. "No, nothing's changed," she said. "And, unfortunately, Helen holds all the cards at the moment."

"How do you make that one?" Jayden asked.

"Lester thinks he's in charge, yeah?" Sofi asked.

Jayden nodded.

"But, unless Helen wants to talk, he's not going to get what he wants," said Sofi. "We all know that she doesn't want to be here. So, why is she going to give up the only leverage that she has? At this precise moment, we need her more than she needs us."

Jayden sighed and Sofi leaned forward, towards the glass.

"We need something that is worth more to her than the information she holds," said Sofi with a sigh.

"Like what?"

"The only thing that means anything to her right now is getting out of this cage," said Sofi.

"She'll get out if she talks," said Jayden. "Lester has already promised that, hasn't he?"

Sofi turned to look at him. "Please don't tell me you're not that naive?" she asked.

"What?"

"She's not getting out of here," said Sofi. "You really think Lester is going to let her go that easily? She's his metaphorical golden goose. Her knowledge about anomalies is something she has accumulated over eight years of travelling, it's going to take more than a few hours in a holding cell for her to explain it all, much less for us to understand it."

Sofi turned back to the glass.

"Helen Cutter is one of the smartest people I know," said Sofi. "I have read every word she has ever written. Hell, she was my inspiration for my thesis. She knows she's not getting out of here."

Jayden turned away from Sofi and looked to his Captain. "Was there an anomaly?" he asked.

"No," Ryan replied. "An illegally imported pet. Nothing dangerous."

"I'm almost afraid to ask, but what kind of illegally imported pet?" Jayden asked.

Sofi grinned at him.

"A python."

Jayden shuddered and Sofi chuckled.

"Aren't you glad you didn't go?" Sofi asked.

"Very."

Sofi smiled and turned her attention back to the interrogation.

_"You told your husband you knew how to find the anomalies,"_  Lester said, staring at Helen.

_"Whatever I said to Nick is between me and him,"_  Helen replied. She had stopped playing with her wristwatch and leaned forward onto the table again.

_"Prior knowledge of anomaly locations would be priceless,"_ said Lester, folding his arms. He was clearly annoyed. Sofi didn't need to read his body language to know that. _"If you can give us that information, it is your absolute duty as a citizen to do so."_

"He's got a point," Ryan murmured.

Sofi half glanced at him. "But technically she isn't a citizen anymore," she said. "As far as human records go, she's dead."

_"You know, I have the power to make your life extremely unpleasant,"_  Lester said, chuckling almost.

_"How can you bear to work with this man?"_  Helen asked, coolly.

Sofi couldn't help but grin at her calm and collected demeanour.

_"At the end of the day, this is about something very simple,"_  said Claudia, trying to diffuse the situation. " _Saving lives. Now, you can do that. So if you know anything at all, just tell us_."

Helen considered the two officials with great regard. Her eyes flickering between them and then over to the glass where Sofi was watching. The teenager was aware that Helen couldn't see her, but had she guessed that someone was watching?

"Do you think she'll talk?" Jayden asked.

"Maybe not to them," said Sofi.

" _Bring Nick to me and I'll tell you everything I know_ ," said Helen.

Sofi looked at Jayden.

"Do you think she's being truthful?" Jayden asked.

"Honestly? No." Sofi answered.

Ryan considered the teenager curiously. "Why ask for her husband if she's not willing to help us?" he asked.

"Because this is a game to Helen," Sofi answered. "She probably thinks it is easier to manipulate someone who has actual feelings for her, like Nick, as opposed to someone like Lester."

Jayden stared at Helen through the glass and then looked at Sofi. "What about you?" he asked.

"What about me?"

"Do you think she'd be able to manipulate you?"

Sofi looked considerate. "I'd like to say no," she answered, but she looked and sounded unsure. "But... she is also one of my scientific idols, so I would probably go out of my way to try and impress her."

"So that's a yes?" Jayden asked.

"To being manipulated? That's a definite yes," Sofi replied.

Jayden smirked and shook his head. "Pretty sure you're not supposed to admit that, Sofi," he said.

"I could've lied and said definitely not," said Sofi. "At least you can't fault my honesty."

Jayden chuckled.

**~X~**

Sofi yawned and closed her eyes for a few moments. She had been at Home Office for almost three hours observing Helen Cutter's behaviour while she was interrogated. So far, all she had managed to deduce was that Helen was cool under pressure, and could play the system better than most.

Her demeanour hadn't changed all that much, except for the little hiccup earlier with the false anomaly alert. But, even then, Sofi was sure that it hadn't been a mistake. Helen was well aware that she was being watched from behind the two-way glass, and even possibly recorded for future purposes.

Sofi was sure that the 'hiccup' had been part of a bigger plan that Helen was planning. Maybe she was hoping someone would pick up on it, maybe she believed that her husband was observing her, and she had hoped he was picking up on it. Maybe it was a signal that she hoped someone would decipher.

"Tired?"

Sofi's eyes snapped open and she looked to the left. Charlie Shepherd, a young scientist working under her father, rested against the wall beside the glass window.

"Just a little," Sofi answered. She hadn't spoken to Charlie in full-length, yet, but given the lad worked for her father, it was only a matter of time before they were thrown together. Although she was curious as to why a scientist was here. She was here as a favour to Nick, her profiling skills were the desired component where Helen Cutter was concerned, while her scientific skills were desired out in the field.

Charlie nodded silently, but his eyes roamed over Sofi from head to toe. "You're Christopher Wyatt's daughter," he said.

"Yep," Sofi said. Way to point out the obvious.

"You don't look like him."

"I look more like my mum," Sofi answered. "My brother used to look like my dad."

"Brother? I didn't know Christopher had a son, too."

Sofi offered a small smile and turned back to the glass. Helen Cutter had been left alone in the interrogation room, her only company were two armed guards standing either side of the door. They didn't say or do anything but merely tried to look intimidating.

Charlie continued to eye Sofi. "So, how old are you?" he asked.

"Nineteen."

"I remember being nineteen," Charlie said. "Fun times. College parties, galore. Been to any good parties lately? I bet you're a party animal. Love to get wild."

Sofi forced a smile and shook her head. "I prefer being at home," she said.

"Really? You don't like the loner type."

"I have a select group of friends," said Sofi.

Charlie made a small noise but his gaze never wavered from Sofi. She tried her hardest to not feel uncomfortable, but she couldn't help the way her skin crawled under his intense gaze. Her father had already warned her about Charlie Shephard, and she wished and prayed that Jayden or Ryan would hurry up and return.

"So, I was thinking..." Charlie started.

Sofi felt her heart sink. She had been anticipating this since he had disturbed her.

Thankfully, the door opened at the back of the room and Nick Cutter stepped inside. He spotted the two more youngest's near the glass and quickly made his way over.

"Sofi."

Sofi sighed in relief. "Professor," she chimed, smiling up at him.

"Are you okay?" Nick asked. He glanced warily at Charlie and then back at Sofi.

"Just fine now," Sofi answered. "What can I do for you?"

Nick glanced at Charlie one more time.

"I'll see you around, Sofi," Charlie said, leaving the room. He closed the door with a snap and Sofi relaxed instantly.

"Thank you," Sofi said, looking up at Nick.

"That's the one your father warned you about?" Nick asked.

Sofi nodded. "I think he was about to ask me out when you walked in," she said.

"Glad I walked in when I did," Nick said, smiling.

"Are you going in to talk to Helen?"

Nick nodded. "Do you mind listening in?" he asked.

"Of course not," said Sofi. "But if you hear a thud against the glass, it means Charlie has come back and I've made a break for it."

Nick chuckled.

Sofi smiled and looked back at the glass. Despite having been here for over three hours already, she found that she couldn't turn down Professor Cutter, even if she tried.

"Why don't you accompany me?" Nick asked, suddenly. "You can observe Helen from across the table, rather than behind a glass window. While I won't deny any information you have already collected, I am sure profiling someone from up close is easier than from in here."

Sofi glanced between Nick and his wife. "I don't think she will talk with me there," she said. "She has already refused to speak with Claudia and Lester. She only wishes to speak with you."

"I think she may make an exception for someone as ambitious and bright as you," said Nick. "You remind me a lot of Helen when she was your age. A perfectionist, and a lover of learning and experimenting."

Sofi smiled.

"What do you say?" Nick asked.

Again, Sofi glanced at the glass. She wanted to say yes, but she also didn't want to be the reason that Helen refused to give up any information.

"If you're sure she will talk with me present, then yes," Sofi said, nodding.

"Great. Let's go," said Nick. He placed his palm on the bottom of Sofi's back and led her out of the one room, and through the door into the interrogation room.

Helen looked up at her husband entered. Her eyes narrowed and zeroed in on Sofi, instantly. She had seen the young girl with Nick at the Dexter house yesterday afternoon, she had been staring, transfixed at the scene as it unfolded before her.

But there was something about the youngester that didn't sit right with Helen. Maybe it was the fact that Sofi seemed older than her intended age, or maybe it was because she was involved in something that sent most adults running for safety. Or, it could've even been the closeness between the teenager and Nick.

"Who's this?" Helen asked, her voice ringing in the silence. She looked from Sofi to Nick, waiting for an explanation.

Sofi hesitated and glanced Nick.

"This is Sofi Wyatt," Nick answered. He motioned for Sofi to take a seat and sat opposite Helen. "She's one of my students at the University. She has a brilliant mind."

Sofi ducked her head and blushed.

Helen stared at the teenager and then leaned forward on the table. "How brilliant?" she asked, curiously. "Tell me something, Sofi. What drew you to Zoology?"

Sofi was quiet for a moment before she lifted her head and met Helen's gaze. "I have always been an animal rights activist. Ever since I was old enough to make my own decisions, I have put animals ahead of humans. I'm not saying all humans are bad, but those that think they own this planet? The ones that kill for sport and fun? They're a stain. They make me feel ashamed to be a part of the same race."

The room was silent as Sofi thought carefully.

"Animals... they just do what comes naturally," said Sofi. "They kill for survival. They try and raise their young in a safe place, and human interaction ends up with them being a prize, something that someone can hang on their wall, or clothes to wear. I was drawn to Zoology so that I learn more about the impact our world as on various different species."

Helen smirked as she stared at Sofi. She then turned her attention to Nick. "Interesting student," she commented.

"Her thesis is an ambitious project," said Nick. "And a very interesting read."

"I'd love to read it sometime," Helen said.

Sofi blushed again, ducking her head and allowing her red hair to block her face.

Nick chuckled and brought Helen's attention back to him. "Sofi is not only my student," he said. "She's my current creature profiler. Her observational skills are off the charts, and I have to admit, I asked her to profile you during your interrogation with Lester and Claudia."

"I had a feeling someone was watching," Helen said, glancing at the teenager. "What did you profile about me, Sofi?"

Sofi glanced at Nick. He nodded.

"You knew it was a false alarm before the team had even been deployed," said Sofi. "The minute Claudia read the location of the possible anomaly site, your body language changed. You became... cocky, whereas before you were relaxed. You gave Lester a smirk, he didn't notice the hidden meaning, but I could tell that you were silently telling him that he had been misinformed."

Helen smirked. "Impressive," she said.

"Thank you," Sofi whispered. She paused and then added. "For the record, I don't agree with the way they handled things. It should've been your choice if you had wanted to come back. They should never have forced you."

Helen considered her simply and then turned to Nick. "I like her," she said.

Nick glanced between his wife and student. He had a feeling Helen would've appreciated Sofi as much as he did.

"Speaking of yesterday," said Nick, bringing the conversation back to the topic at hand. "Are they looking after you properly?"

"If you cared about that then you wouldn't have set me up in the first place," Helen snapped.

Sofi looked between the two. "He didn't set you up," she said. She knew she should've kept quiet. The dispute between husband and wife was not her business, but she knew that Nick had no intention of setting Helen up and hadn't known about the double cross until it was too late.

Helen looked quickly over at the teenager. She should've guessed Sofi would defend her husband. "No?" she asked.

"No," Sofi answered, firmly. "The decision was made without the field teams knowledge. Lester went above all our heads. All he cares about is the information you may have learned about the anomalies for the last eight years, and he is willing to do anything to get his hands on it."

Helen licked her lips and turned her attention back to her husband. There was indecision in her eyes, and Nick sighed.

"Thanks, Sofi, but she's entitled to believe what she wants," Nick said.

Helen looked around. "If you have been watching me since the start of this interrogation, Sofi, then am I right to believe that they are listening now?" she asked.

Sofi nodded. "They have recorded the entire conversation from the very beginning," she said.

"You need to get me out of here, Nick," Helen said, turning her attention back to her husband.

"Well, then, tell me what you know!" Nick shouted, his voice echoing loudly in the room. "Tell me where the anomalies are. Tell me why they're happening. Then, maybe, I can help you."

"Right now why is the least of your worries," Helen said, her voice a lot calmer than her husbands.

"You see, what does that mean?" Nick asked.

Sofi stared silently at Helen.

"You want me to help?" Helen asked, glancing up at the camera above the table. "Alright, I'll help. Unless you act within the next few hours, a pride of sabre-toothed killers will be rampaging through Central London."

Sofi felt her heart stop and a gasp escaped her lips. Sabre-toothed killers could mean only one creature - Smilodon.

**~X~**

Jayden followed Sofi outside the Home Office building. They were still within the general vicinity of the Maximum Security Wing, and it was heavily guarded by Special Forces officers and cameras. If anyone had tried to escape from here, their attempts would be futile.

"Smilodon?" Jayden asked. "That's a Sabre-toothed tiger, right?"

"There is actually no such thing as a sabre-toothed tiger, but yeah," said Sofi. She had reached her car and opened the door. She sat on the passenger's seat and retrieved her backpack from the back seat.

"If there is no such thing as a sabre-tooth tiger, why do they call it that?" Jayden asked.

Sofi shrugged. "I don't know," she said. "I only know that Smilodon is actually not related to any modern day tigers or cats."

"What else do you know about them?"

Sofi lifted her gaze to meet his. "Are you seriously asking me that?" she asked. "I have a based my entire college experience on Prehistory and Zoology, and you're asking me if I know anything about Smilodonn's?"

"I'm challenging your knowledge," said Jayden. "I mean, I know quite a bit about Sabre-tooth, myself. Shall we see if our knowledge matches up?"

"Well, given you called it a Sabre-Toothed Tiger..."

"Hang on! It is more commonly known as a Tiger," said Jayden. "It doesn't matter if it isn't related to the modern day animal or not."

Sofi grinned. "Okay. I'll give you that," she said. She stood and slammed her car door, leaning against it instead and folding her arms. "You go first. I'll chime in with correct information if I have too, and then we'll loop around to me. Deal?"

"Why do I have to go first?" Jayden asked. "Can't you be the Show and Tell master?"

"I did it last time," said Sofi. "It's your turn."

Jayden huffed and folded his arms. "Fine," he said, caving. "I know they were popular prehistoric animals that lived during the Ice Age. They are extinct carnivorous mammals, not dinosaurs."

Sofi grinned.

"They are called Sabre-Toothed because they had two long canine teeth in their upper jaws which were shaped like swords," Jayden continued, his eyes locked with Sofi's. "These teeth were up to 8 inches long and remained out of their mouth even with it was closed."

Sofi nodded as Jayden fell silent. "Anything else?" she asked.

"Plenty, but I thought I would give you a chance to chime in," said Jayden.

"No, please, continue," said Sofi. "I'm interested in what else you have to say."

Jayden chuckled and sighed. "Alright. Don't be too upset when I outshine you, alright?"

Sofi laughed.

"Sabretooth's were found in the grasslands and woodlands of North and South America some 12 million years to 10,000 years ago during the Pleistocene Epoch. They were among the prime predators just like Lions and Tigers of today. They hunted other animals for their food, mostly herbivores. They went extinct due to major changes in the Earth's climate."

Jayden took a deep breath as he finished speaking.

"Nice," said Sofi. "You know quite a bit about Smilodon. I'm impressed."

Jayden rolled his eyes. "Thank you, Professor," he teased.

Sofi shook her head. "Just answer me one question - Did the Sabre-Tooth exist alongside Neanderthals and Cavemen?" she asked.

Jayden looked thoughtful. He racked his brains for any information he may have stored while watching Smilodon on Walking with Beasts and Prehistoric Hunters. "I want to say yes, but I can't remember," he said, unsurely.

"If you say yes," said Sofi. "You'll be correct."

"Really?"

Sofi nodded. "Yep. 14,000 years ago, just as human hunters were colonizing North America, the Sabre-Tooth already dominated the continent."

"Nice. Can't believe I remembered as much as I did, truth be told."

"If the subject matter is something you're interested in," said Sofi. "Then you shouldn't have a hard time remembering it. Dinosaurs and Prehistoric mammals are something that I love to learn about."

"Yeah, but you also have an Eidetic memory."

"You can nurture an eidetic memory," said Sofi. "You don't have to be born with one. There are scientific ways of remembering information. Ever year of stimulations? For example, when I was taking my exams in secondary school. When I would revise at home, I would eat a certain snack or listen to a certain type of music, then before the actual exam I would eat that snack or listen to that music again, and it would open the receptors in my brain that stored the information I had was researching the first time."

Jayden looked thoughtful. "That was proven true?" he asked. "Because I always struggled with my exams. That technique never worked for me."

"There are tons of techniques out there," said Sofi. "Not all of them work for everybody. Maybe you just need to find your own technique and nurture it. I can help, if you want?"

"Sure. Sounds fun."

A side door, leading out from the maximum security centre, opened at the top of the building, and two armed guards walked out; between them came Helen Cutter. She looked around as the sunlight hit her and her gaze locked with Sofi's. She smiled and Sofi found herself smiling back.

"Showtime," said Jayden.

"Yep," Sofi agreed, as Captain Ryan, First Lieutenant Graham, Jacobs and Shawn stepped out of the building. They each got into their own SUVs - Graham calling for Jayden as he climbed in behind the wheel.

Last to appear was Professor Cutter and Claudia Brown. The former caught Sofi's gaze and nodded, climbing into his own truck. Pushing off of her Mustang, Sofi hopped in behind the wheel, started the engine, and pulled out of the lot behind her Professor.

**~X~**

"Here?" Claudia asked as Helen Cutter led her, Nick Cutter, Sofi Wyatt, and several Special Forces officers onto the pitch of Millwall's F.C. Stadium. The young Home Office official found it almost hard to believe that an anomaly could open up in such a public location.

Helen looked over her shoulder at the brunette and nodded. "Do exactly as I say and this doesn't have to be a disaster," she said, leading them off along the outside of the pitch.

Sofi fell into step beside Jayden.

"I used to come here as a kid," Jayden said, looking out at the field. "My parents are rabid football fans, and they would bring me, my brother, and my sister here when we were younger to watch the home team play."

"You have a brother and sister?" Sofi asked.

"Yeah - Peter and Jessica, 16."

"Twins?"

Jayden nodded.

Sofi smiled and looked down. "I had a brother," she said. "His name was Abel. He was a few years older than me."

"Was?"

"He died a long time ago," Sofi whispered. "He and my mum."

Jayden wound an arm around Sofi's shoulder's and hugged her. "I'm sorry," he said.

"Thanks," said Sofi.

Jayden released Sofi as they reached the door leading inside the stadium. Helen led the group through the hallways, and down into the kitchens. Everything in here was metal, and Sofi found it odd that none of it had reacted yet to the anomaly. Normally, if an anomaly was present, everything metallic was drawn to it like a magnet.

"Spread out," Ryan ordered over his shoulder.

Jayden squeezed Sofi's arm and fell away from her, heading deeper into the kitchen with Jacobs and Shawn, his rifle ready for any disturbances or sneak attacks.

Feeling eyes on her, Sofi looked around and spotted Helen. The older brunette smirked and looked away once Sofi and met her gaze, and it left Sofi feeling slightly on edge. Why was Helen showing so much interest in her?

Shaking her head, Sofi trailed her fingers across the shining surface of a metal cabinet and then jumped up onto it. She was soon joined by Nick Cutter as the others filed in around them.

Stephen, Connor, and Abby had also arrived and were milling around nearby as Helen and Claudia stood in the centre of the room, opposite two giant metal doors leading to a fridge freezer.

"In there?" Claudia asked.

"Yep. In there," Helen confirmed.

Claudia stared at the older woman for a split second longer and then turned to Connor. "Connor," she said, urging him forward.

Connor hesitated and glanced at Nick. Once he received a reassuring nod from his Professor, Connor stepped up to the metal doors and helped up his pocket compass. "There's no trace of a magnetic field," he said, turning back to the others.

"The doors are too thick. It can't penetrate the metal," Helen said, supplying an answer.

"Is that true?" Claudia asked Nick.

"Possible," Nick said, nodding.

"Watch her," Claudia said to Ryan. She then approached the freezer and reached for the lock.

"Hey!" Helen cried, startling those around her. "What if the cats have already come through? They could be right behind that door."

Claudia sighed and turned around, clearly agitated. "You know what? She's really starting to get on my nerves!" she growled.

"I can understand that," Nick said.

From the corner of her eye, Sofi saw Stephen grin and couldn't help but grin herself.

Helen shot Nick an amused look.

"You're bluffing," said Claudia, staring at Helen.

Helen smirked at the brunette's ploy. She had to admit that Claudia had balls, but she was the wrong person to be calling out.

"Try me," Helen challenged.

"Stephen," Claudia said.

Stephen sighed and pushed past Helen and Claudia. He stopped in front of the freezer and lifted the lock. He didn't know the code, and he didn't have time to search for it. His only options were tried and guess it, or break it.

"Sof," Stephen called, waving her over.

Sofi jumped down from the cabinet and approached Stephen. She looked at the lock and furrowed her brow. It was a heavy circular lock with a spindle knob in the centre and little numbers around the outside. SHe groaned and turned to Stephen. "That's a four-digit number/code," she explained. "There are 10,000 possible combinations. We don't have time to go through them all."

Stephen sighed and dropped the lock. How was he supposed to get into the freezer without the combination?

"Oh!" Sofi squeaked as Helen held out her knife. The blade was pointed at the older scientist and the handle was directed at them.

Stephen took the handle and Helen let go. With the knife, Stephen cut through the chain and turned to hand it back. He smiled his thanks and turned to Sofi. "Ready?" he asked.

Sofi nodded and pushed against the one door with all her might. It creaked as the door Stephen was pulling at opened, steadily. She then took hold of the edge and pulled, easing the second door open and revealing a ball of glittering energy on the other side.

"Get down!" Ryan called.

Sofi ducked back, behind the second door, just as a metallic pot flew overhead and disappeared through the anomaly.

Pivoting on the spot, Stephen caught a strainer seconds before it crashed into Connor's head. "This is where you duck," he said.

"Okay," said Connor, ducking out of view.

Stephen released the strainer and it too disappeared through the anomaly.

"You'd make a terrible poker player," Sofi heard Helen say to Claudia.

**~X~**

"Anybody hungry?" Connor asked, brushing past Sofi and reaching into one of the boxes that lined the shelves around the anomaly. He pulled out a cold steak and kidney pie.

Helen's eyes widened. "Oh, my God. We've got to get rid of them," she whispered. "The meat will act like bait!" She attempted a dash towards the freezer, but Graham and Ryan stopped her.

Sofi looked up at Connor as Nick bypassed her and started to pass Stephen box after box.

"Unless you want your men to be breakfast, I suggest you do something," Helen shouted at Ryan.

The Captain glanced over at Claudia. She nodded and Ryan released Helen, turning to help Nick and Stephen. "Okay. Clear them out," he said, taking a box.

"Quickly. Here," said Nick, passing a box to Connor and directing him out of the freezer.

Sofi stepped back as Nick pushed a large shelf out of the way, leaving the route to the anomaly open for anyone.

Then Helen was running.

Sofi's eyes widened and she looked from Helen to the anomaly and then back again. She had to do something to stop her from getting through, but what?

"Sofi, look out!" Jayden yelled.

Sofi screamed as Helen barrelled into her, knocking them both through the anomaly. She groaned as they rolled together, down a small hill and stopped at the bottom.

"You should come with me, Sofi," Helen said, detangling herself from the teenager and straightening up. "You'd love it."

Sofi groaned and sat up. Her world was still spinning and her head hurt more than usual.

"But I know you," Helen continued. "You're ambitious, yes, but you're not daring enough to leave it all behind. You still want to please everyone, especially Nick."

Sofi pressed a hand to her head and closed her eyes. She was sure that she had a concussion.

"One day you'll be ready," said Helen. "And when that day comes. I'll be waiting for you."

Then she was gone.

"Sofi..."

Sofi looked around. The new voice came from behind her, and it belonged to Captain Ryan. He had followed her through the anomaly. "Ryan...?" she whispered.

"Yeah, it's me," Ryan said. He helped her stand, wrapping an arm around her waist as she stumbled. "Careful. You're okay."

Sofi pressed her head against his chest as her world slid out of focus again. "I think I hit my head," she groaned.

"I wouldn't be surprised by the way she ran into you," said Ryan. "You okay?"

"Has the world stopped spinning?"

Ryan laughed.

Sofi smiled and opened her eyes. She breathed out slowly and then lifted her head so she could meet his gaze. He was so close to her, closer than she had expected him to be. "Uh..." she breathed, looking down. Their bodies were pressed tightly together, and his arm was still around her waist.

"Yeah, um, well, the thing is..." Ryan stammered. "I'd let you go but I'm afraid you'd fall over. You were very disorientated when I found you, and you're still looking a little pale. So..."

"Right," Sofi said, nodding slowly. She felt a light blush in her face and forced herself to look anywhere but at him. Instead, she set her focus over his shoulder, taking in the sights. They were standing in an open field, possibly in the countryside. Blooming white and yellow flowers sprouted from the ground and lush green grass covered the whole area, but that wasn't all. It wasn't the fact that they were in the countryside that kept Sofi's attention, it was the many glittering calls of magnetic energy that hovered inches above the ground, and in all directions.

Ryan sucked in a breath and Sofi looked back at him.

"This place is amazing..." Sofi said.

"Where are we?" Ryan asked.

Sofi shook her head, casting her gaze away from him again and looking back at the anomalies. They were everywhere. "I don't know," she replied.

**~X~**

Spaghetti Junction of Anomalies.

That's what Connor had decided to call the vast open fields full to the brim with glittering balls of energy. Sofi couldn't blame him, though, the name fit. It did look like a junction of anomalies, and she was pretty sure that they all led off into different timelines.

"Are you sure you don't know where she went?" Claudia asked Sofi.

"I could barely see straight," Sofi answered. "I could remember her talking, I'm not sure what she was saying, but she was definitely talking to me. And then she was gone."

Claudia sighed and placed a comforting hang on Sofi's shoulder. The SAS medic had already diagnosed the teenager with a grade one concussion since she hadn't lost consciousness and her symptoms hadn't lasted longer than 15 minutes, she was safe to stay at work.

"You tried to follow her," Claudia continued, turning her attention to Nick instead. Not wanting to be part of the conversation any more than she already was, Sofi pulled away from the couple and wandered over to where Jayden, Shawn, and Jacob were standing.

Jayden looked around as Sofi wedged her way between him and Shawn. "You feeling okay?" he asked.

"My world has stopped spinning so that's a plus," Sofi said, smiling. "Thanks for the warning, by the way."

"I'm just sorry I wasn't quick enough," said Jayden.

Sofi shook her head. "No one saw it coming until it was too late," she said. "So don't blame yourself."

Jayden looked like he wanted to argue, but loud noise from the anomaly caused him, and everyone else in the kitchens, to look around. The anomaly pulsated and the noise beyond it grew louder and louder. But it didn't sound like a roar from a cat, it sounded more like a bird.

Suddenly, the anomaly pulled inwards and then exploded back out, allowing a plump bird with grey feathers to pop through. It's medium-sized beak opened and it let out a loud squawk, as it rushed forward, weaving its way between everyone's legs and disappearing between counters.

Behind the first, came several more.

Sofi laughed as a bird brushed between her and Shawn.

"Round them up, everybody, don't let them get out!" Cutter called.

Not needing to be told twice, Sofi turned away from the anomaly and chased a bird down the second aisle on her left. It squawked and rushed around, crashing into the metal cupboards and knocking pots and pans off of low shelves as it tried to evade her.

A thud caught Sofi's attention and she chanced a glance over the side of the counter, laughing as she found Jacobs laying on his stomach, his arm outstretched and another bird standing just out of reach. "Laying down the job?" she teased. "Disgraceful."

Jacob huffed and pushed himself up. "These things move like my three-year-old nephew," he said.

"I think they're Dodo's," said Sofi.

"Well, these  _Dodo's_  move like my three-year-old nephew," Jacobs said.

Sofi smiled and turned her attention back to her own bird. It had stopped at the end of her aisle and was staring at her. When their gazes met, the bird cocked its head to the side and then squawked at her.

"I think he likes you," Jacobs said, laughing.

"He must think this is a game," said Sofi.

"It's not fun."

Sofi rolled her eyes and jogged the short distance to the dodo. It squawked and turned on a dime, dodging around another dodo coming towards it and disappearing around the end of a table.

"Watch out!"

Sofi squeaked as she and Abby collided. They managed to grab onto one another and remain standing.

"Sorry," they both apologised.

The two dodo's that they had been chasing stopped and looked back at the two girls'.

"I don't know who is having more fun," Abby said, blowing a strand of hair from her face.

"I'd say definitely them," said Sofi. She stepped around Abby and took off after her dodo. Chasing it back down the kitchen and into a room at the end. "Gotcha!" she declared, slamming the door closed behind it.

Peering in through the window, Sofi watched as the dodo jumped up on the desk, kicking papers all over the floor, it's little wings flapping against its plump body.

"They're great," Nick whispered.

Sofi glanced back at her Professor. He was standing at her shoulder, staring through the window at the bird. Sofi smiled and nodded. "I love Dodo's," she said.

"That doesn't surprise me anymore," said Cutter.

Sofi grinned and turned her attention back to the Dodo. Its head swivelled around and its eyes locked onto hers again. It lunged forward, off the desk, and squawked loudly as it headbutted the window.

"I think it likes you," said Nick.

"So everyone keeps saying," Sofi muttered.

**~X~**

With all the Dodo's rounded up and secured inside the office, Nick couldn't help but step into the office himself and kneel amongst the birds. He had read and learned so much about Dodo's over his years as a student and a professor, but coming face-to-face with one was exciting in itself.

Many people believed that the Dodo resembled a turkey, when in fact it was actually larger than a turkey. It weighed roughly 23 kilograms and had blue-grey plumage, a big head, a 23 cm blackish bill with reddish sheath forming the hooked tip, small useless wings, stout yellow legs, and a tuff of curly feathers high on its rear end.

The Dodo squwaked as Nick settled down around them. They reached eyed him curiously but paid no heed to him. Their danger levels were not high and they obviously didn't perceive him as a threat.

Sofi laughed as a Dodo head-butted a stack of boxes on a chair and knocked them off onto the ground. It squwaked and jumped over them, flapping its tiny wings. Nick looked up at his student and motioned for her to join him.

"Dodo's?" Claudia asked, leaning against the doorframe and observing the creatures.

"Oh, they're so cute," Abby cooed.

"And dumb..." Connor nodded, watching as one of the Dodo's continued to bump the fallen boxes. Its legs intertwined and it all-but fell over itself as it turned around.

"They're not stupid, just trusting," Abby said. "It's not their fault they became extinct."

"Funny, you weren't this sentimental about the Gorgonopsid," said Connor.

"Probably because the Dodo is less likely to kill us," said Jayden. He, too, had been watching the Dodo's from over Claudia's shoulder.

"Is that the lot?" Claudia asked.

"Yep, that's it," Stephen confirmed, returning and leaning on Connor's shoulder.

Sofi laughed as a Dodo nudged her hand, lifting it up and staring at the human as it rested on top of its feathery head. It nudged her cheek with its beak, and Sofi carefully trailed her fingers over the bird's plumage.

The dodo shivered and a ripple run down its feathery back.

"I think it likes you, Sof," Jayden said.

Sofi looked up at her friend and caught Ryan's eye as he stood behind the others. He smiled and Sofi bit the inside of her lip as she turned back to the Dodo's.

"We better ship this lot back before we upset Darwin," said Nick. He looked around the office and then back at the door with a happy sigh. "Now, everybody, um... Grab a Dodo."

Abby and Stephen grinned as Connor pursed his lips, smiling. Claudia forced an unsure smile, and Jayden merely stared at Sofi, as she continued to play with the Dodo that was showing her attention.

"Come on, Sof," said Jayden, as Nick, Claudia, Abby and Stephen, herded four out of five Dodo's from the office. They interacted with each one, setting up a sort of system to send them back through the anomaly one at a time, rather than a large group.

Sofi sighed and looked back at the Dodo. "Aw, but he's going back to an extinction event," she said, curling her fingers through the feathers again.

"I know, but you made the rule about putting these creatures back, remember?" Jayden asked.

"I know," Sofi said. She leaned forward and smiled sadly at the Dodo. "Sorry, little guy."

The Dodo squwaked as Sofi stood and nudged her knee with its head.

Jayden laughed and stepped outside the office, and Sofi followed him. The dodo waddling along behind her. "I'll be right back," he said.

Sofi nodded and Jayden walked away.

"Making friends?"

Sofi laughed and looked up as Ryan took Jayden's place at her side.

It hadn't been twenty-four hours yet since the night out, and already the dynamic between them was shifting. They had both felt it shift the morning after, and it had shifted again at the Dexter house. While they were alone in the basement, he had asked her what was happening between them, and she couldn't answer him. She couldn't answer him now, but even she was curious about what was transpiring between them.

She liked him, that was obvious.

He liked her, again, that was obvious.

So why was it so hard to admit those feelings out loud?

She felt the dodo nudge her legs with its head, trying to get her to keep petting its feathers. She lightly traced her fingertips over the feathers on its head, feeling the vibration of its trill through her jeans.

Then... it was gone.

Looking down, Sofi gasped as she saw the Dodo she had been interacting with laying at her feet.

"No..." Sofi whispered, lowering herself to her knees. She threads her fingers through the feathers of the Dodo and peered closely at it. Its chest was no longer rising and falling, and it was motionless, despite its body still being warm. It could only have just died.

Ryan placed a comforting hand against Sofi's shoulder. "Professor," he called across the room. "We have a dodo down."

"Oh, no," Claudia gasped.

Nick sighed and knelt beside Sofi. He placed his hand over her's, grasping it tightly.

"Oh, how did that happen?" Abby whispered.

"Maybe it ate one of the pies," Connor suggested. He was still stood beside the freezer, checking the magnetic pull of the anomaly with his compass. He grinned and then let it fall as every eye turned to him, clearly unamused. "Sorry."

"Poor little guy. We should do an autopsy to find out how he died," said Nick. He glanced at Sofi, taking in her visibly distressed face. He wound his arm around her shoulders and pulled her to him.

"Could have been the shock," suggested Stephen.

"Well, we've been through and we're all right," said Nick, referring to the four of them in the one corner alone.

Stephen looked sceptically at Cutter. "As far as we know," he said, cocking his head to the side.

"Cutter?" Connor called from the freezer. He looked up from the anomaly, a grim expression on his face. "The anomaly's fading."

**~X~**

Once back at the Home Office, Abby, Stephen, Nick, and Sofi occupied one of the labs on the fourth floor. Their objective at this point was simple - perform an autopsy to find out the exact reason as to why an obvious health, yet already extinct bird, died.

There had to be an answer to it.

Once the Dodo was laid out on the slab, Cutter took a surgical knife and placed the blade against the Dodos throat. The legs moved, and instinctively the four pushed away from the table in alarm.

"It's muscle spams," said Stephen, trying to offer a plausible explanation.

"No, it's been dead for hours," said Nick. He paused and then sighed, taking a step closer to the table. He put the blade back to the Dodo's throat and, just like before, the creature moved. This time, however, its beak opened and a rather large worm hit the ground with a squelch.

The worm squealed and snaked across the floor towards Abby. Panicked, the blonde squeaked and shuffled away, backing herself into a corner as the worm advanced closer.

"Stephen, grab that!" Nick called.

Lifting a glass bell jar from a table, Stephen slammed it down over the worm and Abby sighed in relief. The worm whined and squealed as it launched itself at the glass jar, slamming its head into the roof before slowly receding onto the floor.

"What is it?" Abby asked, curiously.

"It looks like a parasite," said Sofi.

"A parasite?" Abby repeated.

Sofi nodded. She carefully lifted the glass jar and, grabbing a set of tongs, picked up the parasite by the body and set it on a tray. "It could be a T. brucei gambiense or a T. brucei rhodesiense," she explained.

Abby blinked. Being a Zookeeper, and working with animals her entire life, she was well adapted to know about parasites that could affect the animals she looked after, but despite this, she didn't also know the scientific names for said parasites.

"Do you know which?" Stephen asked.

"I'd have to run specific tests to be sure," said Sofi. "Both T. brucei gam and T. brucei rho can live in animals. The scary thing is though, they can also live in humans, and be passed between both species."

"What's the fatality rate between species?" Abby asked.

"There is no rate," said Sofi. "Both these parasites will kill a human just as well as an animal."

Abby sighed and looked back at the parasite. She was thankful that it hadn't managed to get inside her. She just wished she could've said the same thing about the dodo.

Looking away from the parasite, Sofi skimmed the dodo for any marks to indicate where the parasite had got into the dodo's systems. "I need to run specific tests on the dodo before I can determine which parasite we are dealing with," she said.

Nick nodded. "Tell me what you need," he said.

Sofi held up a syringe and passed it to Nick. "Blood," she said. She then passed a swab to Abby. "Saliva," she added, before turning to Stephen. "I also need an X-ray."

The trio nodded and set to work as Sofi moved the parasite to an empty table and set to work collecting the same samples as the others.

**~X~**

Later that afternoon, once Sofi had had time to finish all her tests, and analyse the results did she call for Lester. The self-proclaimed 'leader' of the anomaly project had wanted to be kept up-to-date on all things strange and abnormal, and nothing got more abnormal than a prehistoric parasite and a dead dodo.

As she was pulling together her results, the door to the lab opened and Sofi looked around to see Lester step instead. He was wearing identical clothing to her, Nick, Abby, and Stephen, and he did not look impressed at all by it.

Sharing a look with Abby, Sofi bit her lip and turned back to her evidence.

"What did you find?" Lester asked, immediately. It was obvious that he didn't want to be in the room any longer than he needed to be.

Shuffling her results into a neat order, Sofi slipped from her chair and returned to the table where the others were waiting. It was a state-of-the-art LED light table fitted with a bright box light, excellent for analysing X-Ray images.

"I can tell you it's not a larva," said Sofi. She pulled out a copy of the Dodo's X-Ray and set it down on the table, flicking the switch on the side and allowing the others a chance to adjust to the bright light.

"It's not?" Stephen asked.

Sofi shook her head. "It's actually an adult," she explained. "A giant cestoid, to be exact. See here," she passed him the parasite between a set of tongs and indicated to the mandibles on its mouth. "It uses those to burrow into an animals skin; I found similar marks under the dodo's wing. I also found scratch and bite marks. The parasite is passed on through biting."

"So, when the dodos were fighting?" Abby asked.

"Yeah," said Sofi. "Fights over food, or even mating."

Nick analysed the X-Ray in front of him. He had already gone over Sofi's findings with a fine-toothed comb, and together they had managed to come up with the plausible explanations that everyone was looking for.

"It's destroyed the internal organs and attacked the central nervous system," Nick explained.

"I thought the trick of being a good parasite was to live off the host creature without killing it," Lester suggested.

"This one doesn't compromise," said Nick, shaking his head. He pointed at the entry point on the X-Ray with a pencil. "It enters the bloodstream as larvae, it feeds off the host, and then it moves up the body to lay its eggs."

"Keeping itself alive just long enough to reproduce itself," said Stephen. He passed the parasite over to Lester, immediately the man backed off and Stephen quickly returned the cestoid to the table.

"And then, mission accomplished, they both die together," said Nick.

"Isn't nature wonderful," Lester asked, rhetorically.

Abby turned to Sofi. "If it managed to reproduce itself, where are the fresh Larve?" she asked.

"Inside a new host," said Sofi. "Once the parasite is ready to pass itself on, it does so when the Dodo attacks another animal. Passing itself on through the attack and directly into the bloodstream."

"This new host," said Lester. "Is it another Dodo?"

Sofi shrugged. "Probably. But we sent all the other Dodo's back through the anomaly," she answered. "If they were infected, they shouldn't be able to hurt anyone now."

"That's a good thing, I guess."

"Not so good, I'm afraid," said Nick. He stood, away from the table, staring at his phone. A look of indescribable disbelief on his face.

**~X~**

While Abby and Sofi had queried the new host, Cutter's phone had buzzed with an incoming call from Connor. Apparently, two of Connor's university friends had found a stray Dodo - how it had got out with no one seeing was nobody's business - and decided to take it home with them.

Everything had been going great until the Dodo had attacked one of the blokes. Which was why, with a heavy heart, Sofi had gone with Nick and the rest of the team out into London and to the flat where Tom and Duncan shared together.

She didn't know the two boys personally, but she had seen them around campus, and they were in a few of her classes. They were reasonably smart people, except she was starting to wonder if that was too generous a term. Who in their right minds took an extinct animal from under the noses of government officials?

"How infectious is this?" Claudia asked, sliding out of the passengers' seat of Cutter's 4x4.

"It's not a virus. It's a parasite," Nick answered. He looked behind him as Sofi jumped out of the driver's seat of her car.

"And Tom's the host," said Claudia. "Do we know what  _kind_  of parasite? Surely there aren't that many that can affect both human and animal?"

Sofi shook her head. "We have a choice of two, and unfortunately they both do exactly that," she said.

Claudia sighed.

"Either way, we have to isolate him before he can pass it on to anyone else," said Nick, clapping Captain Ryan on the shoulder. "Now, whatever you do, when you go in there, don't let him come anywhere near you."

"Right," Ryan nodded. He entered the house ahead of Nick, taking Jayden and the rest of his men with him.

Quickly bypassing Claudia, as she turned on Duncan, Sofi followed the darkened hallway to the front door. She couldn't help but wonder why the corridor was darkened, especially in the middle of the day, but didn't have time to query it before she stepped through into the flat, itself.

Sofi shook her head as a small smile crept onto her face. The whole flat was decorated in warped out wallpaper, funky couches and seats, a few potted plants lined the windows and tables, and a few alien and weirdly shaped decorations were slotted in around the place.

"This does not give me hope for your place," Sofi said to Connor. The computer expert smiled and stepped further into the room.

Looking around herself again, Sofi headed off down the hall towards the bedrooms. Inside one she found Ryan, Stephen, and Nick.

"You know the movies when you think the killer's finally dead and then all of a sudden they just jump up again?" Stephen asked.

"Yeah, I hate those films," Ryan said, causing Stephen to jump. It was obvious that he hadn't expected anyone to be behind him, much less answer him.

"I take it neither of you are fans of horror movies, either?" Sofi asked, leading Claudia, Connor, and Duncan into the room.

Stephen shook his head. "You're telling me you are?" he asked.

"Maybe," Sofi answered with a grin. "I like Thriller's, too."

"Remind me to never go to the cinema with you."

Sofi grinned and looked around at Ryan. "What?" she asked. "Don't want to go with me to the cinema, either?"

Ryan cleared his throat and Sofi turned her attention back to Nick. He was on all fours and reaching under the bed.

"It's dead," said Nick, after a few hard pats to the head.

"Are you sure?" Claudia asked.

"Pretty sure," Nick said. He straightened up and overturned the bed, along with Stephen.

Sofi sighed and knelt down beside the second dead dodo. "Poor thing," she cooed, running her fingers over its feathers. She carefully lifted its wing and found an almost identical mark to the dodo back at the lab. She looked up at Stephen as he stood over her.

"Alright. Bag it up, but be careful," Nick warned.

"One minute it was friendly, and the next it just went crazy," Duncan explained.

"There parasite changed the dodo's behaviour to suit its own purposes," Nick explained, helping Sofi back to her feet.

"Which where?" Claudia asked.

"To pass itself on," Sofi answered. "That's why it bit Tom, so it could incubate its eggs in the new host."

"He's not safe to be around," said Nick. He sighed heavily and glanced at Connor. "I'm sorry. But maybe if we had got to him straight away, then he'd have stood a chance."

Connor looked back at Duncan.

"There is one thing I would never have found in a lab," said Sofi, looking up at Nick. "The parasite is light sensitive."

"How do you work that out?" Stephen asked.

"This bulb has been burnt out," said Sofi, swatting at the low hanging glass ball above her head. "Under the bed is one of the darkest places in a whole house, and the main hallway is shrouded in darkness given the time of day it is."

"What is it you like to say? One time is a..."

"Once is a chance, Twice is a coincidence, Three times is a Pattern," Sofi answered.

"So, you're saying that where ever Tom is, he's going to be trying to stay in the dark?" Nick asked.

Sofi nodded.

**~X~**

_Beep. Beep._

Sofi looked up from her reference book. She was sitting outside the Home Office building, taking a break and doing some more research for her thesis paper when Nick had pulled up in front of her in his 4x4. Sitting shotgun was Claudia Brown and in the back, already getting out was Stephen.

"Where have you guys been?" Sofi asked. "I thought you were bringing the dodo back to Abby?"

"We were. Then your dad called and said that the labs were being used, and he needed to move the Dodo elsewhere," Claudia answered.

"So where are they now?"

"At the University," Nick answered. "It's not ideal. But on such short notice, it will do."

"You should've said something earlier," said Sofi. "You could've used my lab at home."

"You have a lab at your home?" Claudia asked.

"Yep. Dad paid a lot of money for me to have my whole loft tricked out," Sofi explained.

"I would love to see that," said Nick.

Sofi grinned. "It's where I do all my Uni research assignments," she said. "I am also using it for the research we're doing on anomalies. So, Abby has the Dodo's?"

Nick nodded.

"Then where have you been in between?" Sofi asked.

"What do you mean?" Stephen asked. He took a seat beside her on the steps, bringing his knees up to his chest.

Sofi shrugged. "Well, it takes, what? Roughly half an hour from Tom and Duncan's place to the University; that's without traffic. So, let's say 45 minutes with rush hour. From the University to here it takes around an hour, with traffic," she looked up at the trio. "That's an hour and forty-five minutes, you've been gone longer than that." She checked her watch. "I got back here around 1:30, and it is now 2:15."

Nick chuckled and shook his head.

"So...?"

"We were at the Hospital," Nick answered.

Sofi's eyes widened. "Uh-oh," she whispered.

"We're fine," said Stephen. "But, we got a call that a surgeon had been bitten. He was calling the Hospital of Tropical Diseases."

"Tom," Sofi said, looking from Stephen to Nick. "He's passed on the parasite already?"

"Not exactly," said Nick. "We were right about it incubating its eggs inside a host. But we wrong in thinking that both eggs and parasite co-existed inside one animal."

Sofi swallowed. She didn't like the way the conversation was heading.

"It's incubating and then passing each egg onto a different host," said Stephen. "Each person Tom attacks, he is infecting them."

"But there's only been one recorded attack," said Sofi. "If the parasite was changing Tom's personality to fit its own needs then there should be a lot more attacks going on. Why only one?"

"I believe it is due to Tom being human," said Nick. "His moral compass is telling him that attacking and hurting these people is wrong, and he is fighting the Parasite's control over it."

Sofi looked thoughtful. The explanation sounded plausible. The only thing that set humans apart from any other animal was their conscious and moral code. "Alright. I'll buy it," she said, nodding. "What is being done about finding him? Surely we aren't going to wait until he attacks someone again?"

Nick shook his head. "We're going to question Connor and Duncan," he said. "Would you like to join us?"

"You're going to put them in an interrogation room," said Sofi. "That alone is going to ruffle Duncan's feathers, and he's going to get real defensive. Also, I think by locking him in with three people, four if you include Connor, all of whom are going to be judging him on taking the Dodo, to begin with, you're not going to get any answers out of him."

"What do you suggest?" Claudia asked.

Sofi looked from Nick to her. "I think it should be just two interrogators," she said. "Maybe just you and Stephen," she told Nick. "It makes the situation less...threatening. Duncan is still going to be defensive, but he's not going to feel like we're ganging up on him."

Nick and Claudia shared a look.

"Alright," said Claudia. "I'll make sure the room is empty." She walked away.

"What are you going to do while we're in there?" Stephen asked.

Sofi looked up at him. "I have quite a bit of work to finish," she said, indicating to the notes and books on her lap, and inside her backpack. "I'll probably make myself comfortable in the room behind the two-way glass."

Stephen nodded and reached for one of the books on the step beside Sofi. "This parasite case must be ideal for your thesis, huh?" he asked, reading the title. "I mean, didn't you base two-thirds of your paper on parasitic growth in prehistoric times?"

"Give me that," Sofi said, taking the book back. "But, yes, this is rather helpful."

Stephen chuckled and, once Sofi had packed away the rest of her belongings, he and Nick led her back into the Home Office building.

**~X~**

" _Okay. When Tom is in trouble, what's his first reaction?_ "

Sofi looked up as Nick started to speak. They had decided to go with her plan when talking to Duncan, and she had guessed correctly that the student was still on the defence. He sat, rigid in his seat with his hands in his lap. He was red-faced and suspicious as he glanced around the room.

" _Tom doesn't get in trouble,_ " Connor answered. The sincerity in his voice was plainly obvious.

" _He's not that sort of bloke,_ " Duncan agreed.

Sofi found that she believed them, both. She didn't know Tom, at all, but she had seen him around campus before. He didn't look like the type of person that caused havoc or chaos. He was an unforeseen victim in all of this.

" _Then put yourself in his shoes,_ " said Nick. " _What's... What'll he be thinking? Where will he go?_ "

" _He'll be trying to find out what this whole conspiracy's about,_ " Duncan replied, quickly.

Sofi's head shot up and she stared at the two-way glass.

" _There is no conspiracy,_ " Stephen groaned.

" _So what's all this, then? Meeting of the local Women's Institute? The CIA? The Freemasons? The Illuminati?_ "

Sofi scoffed but couldn't help but grin. She could remember the conversation topic with Connor a few weeks back, he had been adamant that the whole Loch Ness Monster ordeal was a conspiracy covered up by the government. She should've guessed that his friends were big on the topic as well.

" _You people are always hiding the truth,_ " Duncan continued. " _Tom was right about everything. That's why we put the transmitter on you._ "

Connor paused and looked back at his friend. " _What? You bugged me?_ " he asked. He scoffed as realisation dawned. " _Of course you did. Because that's how you found the dodo, right?_ "

" _Well, you were the one with all the secrets. SWAT teams, girlfriends..._ "

" _Duncan, just tell me where it is,_ " Connor interrupted whilst checking his pockets.

" _It's not on your bag. Inside Roswell._ "

Connor stopped short and offered his friend an unimpressed look. " _You sneaky little..._ " he trailed off, shaking his head.

" _Wait, wait. How did you track it?_ " Nick asked.

" _Tom modified the Sat Nav on his Palmtop,_ " Duncan answered.

" _Then he's going to come here,_ " said Nick, getting to his feet. He rounded the table and patted Connor on the shoulder. " _If Tom wants answers he's going to follow the transmitter. He's coming to you._ "

But Duncan shook his head. " _Not exactly. The Dodo swallowed it,_ " he said.

" _The transmitter's in the dodo..._ " Stephen said, trailing off.

Sofi's eyes widened as she realised the severity of the situation. "Oh no..." she whispered, abandoning her notes and research. She grabbed her phone and quickly dialled an all too familiar, yet new number.

The phone rang and rang.

But Abby didn't answer.

**~X~**

"Try Abby again!"

"I've tried several times, Stephen, she's not answering!"

Stephen closed his eyes and sighed in annoyance. He knew it wasn't Sofi's fault that Abby wasn't answering her phone. If their calculations were correct, and he knew that they were, then Tom had followed the signal coming out of the dodo to the University and was in direct contact with the zookeeper. He was well aware that Abby could defend herself, she was a martial artist, but given she was up against something unpredictable, he didn't want her to run the risk of getting hurt, or worse.

Having arrived at the University, only to find Abby and Dodo gone. The team decided to try the transmitter from Tom's van to figure out where they had gone. While Stephen, Nick, Duncan, Connor, Claudia, and Ryan had headed inside; Sofi remained outside with Jayden, Shawn, Graham, and Jacobs.

"Is it working?" Stephen asked when he returned from Nick's office. He found Sofi leaning against her car, the transmitter in hand.

Sofi fiddled with the palmtop for a few seconds and then held it up. There was a blinking red dot on the screen, and it was moving erratically around. "They're at the football stadium," she had said.

"Why would they have gone there?" Claudia asked. "The anomaly has closed."

"Tom wants proof," said Sofi. "He thinks this is a conspiracy. That we're up to something with these creatures, and to prove a conspiracy you need proof of your allegations before anyone will believe you."

"He's got the Dodo," said Stephen.

"It looks like an animatronic," Sofi said. "Besides, no one is going to believe that prehistoric creatures are alive again in the 21st century. Tom want's proper, undiluted proof of Dodo's existence. He doesn't know that the anomaly has closed. Abby is obviously trying to buy time. She knows that we're going to figure out Tom's plan, she knows we're coming for her."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Stephen asked. "Let's go get her."

Sofi nodded and hopped into her car as the others filed into theirs, and pulled away.

**~X~**

"No. Don't do it, Tom! Get off! No. Tom!"

Abby's voice raised louder and louder as Sofi followed the rest of the team through the football stadium gates and up into the stands. She had just reached the top of the stairs as Ryan, Graham, Jayden and the rest circled Tom, as he was leaning over Abby, braced to bite and infect her.

"I've got a shot," Ryan declared. "I can take him out."

"No!" Connor shouted, running out in front of the line of fire. "Don't shoot him!"

"Connor, what are you doing?" Claudia asked.

"Just, please, don't shoot him!" Connor pleaded.

Sofi caught Nick's eye and nodded. There had to be a chance that they could get through to Tom. He had managed to fight off the parasite thus far, there was a possible chance that, if Connor could get him to remember who he was, then he could find off the parasite completely. It wouldn't save his life, but he would die as himself, rather than something he wasn't.

"Alright, let him try. Let him try," Nick whispered to Nick.

Ryan nodded but didn't surrender on his target. He kept the rifle poised and ready to fire.

"Tom. Tom, it's me," Connor said, turning his back on the team and looking directly at his friend. He didn't look at Abby, or even acknowledge her. This was all about Tom. He needed to show his friend that he was there for  _him_.

Tom looked from Connor to the soldiers. There were fear and anger in his eyes.

"Let her go, mate," said Connor, softly.

Abby grunted as Tom's grip on her tightened.

"Easy. Easy!" Connor said, reassuringly. "Easy."

Sofi watched with bated breath. The situation couldn't have been anymore tense. Abby's life was still on the line, but she was Tom's and Connor's. One false move and Ryan's orders would be to shoot. His job was simple - protect the  _team_ , at all costs.

"You remember Thursday nights, don't you?" Connor asked. " _Battlestar Galactica, Blakes 7?_  Pepperoni Pizza?"

Tom gave a faint, unsure smile, as he looked up at Connor. "Connor?" he asked.

"Yeah," Connor breathed. He still had his hands held out in front of him. Not threatening. "They were good times, weren't they? You can fight the dark side, mate. You really can."

Tom tensed and looked down at Abby. Sofi watched as his expression faltered and then broke, and he sat back.

Abby squeaked and rolled away, scrambled to her feet and made a beeline for the stands. She took the steps two at a time and stopped beside Sofi.

"Are you alright?" Sofi asked.

Abby gave a wobbly smile.

"You, too, Connor. Move away. He will kill you," Ryan called.

But Connor didn't budge. He remained where he was, staring at Tom. "No, he won't," he replied, his voice barely above a whisper now. He wasn't sure if the others could hear him, but he was sure his body language was easy enough to read. He lowered his arms to his sides and stepped closer to Tom, kneeling down so they were on the same level. "He's my friend."

Tom looked up at Connor. His expression was still weary.

"You come with me," Connor said, nodding. "We can... We can help you."

"It was a conspiracy, wasn't it, Con?" Tom asked. He knew that there was nothing his friend could do. He knew whatever was inside of him was slowly killing him. He could feel it.

Connor forced a smile and nodded. "Yeah," he agreed. "Big time. Straight to the top."

"Was there any mind control?" Tom asked. The boyish, child-like grin on his face made Sofi's heart clench.

"Yeah," Connor whispered.

Tom sniffled a laugh. "Brilliant," he said. "Brilliant."

Then, Sofi noticed, Tom's demeanour changed. His body tensed, his jaw clenched and he slowly lifted his head. From over Connor's shoulder, Sofi could see the darkness creep into Tom's eyes, their usual dark colour turning a translucent blue as the parasite took control again.

"Connor," Sofi called in warning. She teetered dangerously on the edge of the step, and only remained there due to Abby's deathly clutch of her arm.

"Connor, back away!" Stephen yelled.

Tom lurched forward, toppling into Connor's arms and burying his face in his friend's shoulder.

Sofi turned away, her eyes closing as her heart sank. The end was nearing.

"It's okay," Connor murmured, nursing his friend. "You're okay." He carefully lowered Tom onto the ground.

"They tried to take me over, but I fought them, Con. I fought them," Tom whispered. His breathing was becoming laboured.

"You did a really good job," said Connor.

"Mmm. I'm a hero," said Tom.

Sofi noted that Tom was now shaking. She could only guess that it was due to the parasite dying within his system. If she had to venture a guess, she'd have said the parasite's body was releasing toxins that were fighting Tom's red and white blood cells, causing multiple organ failures and shut down. His shaking could be due to lack of oxygen and the fact that his blood was growing thinner and thinner the more time that passed.

Tom's death wasn't easy, and he was suffering greatly. Sofi felt heartbreak for him.

All to soon, Tom's body seized up and his eyes closed. His breathing stilled and he collapsed onto the ground at Connor's feet.

Sofi choked back a sob and leaned into Abby, as the older blonde wound an arm around her shoulders.

Down in the stadium, Connor had risen from Tom's body and turned to meet Nick's approach. He shook his head at his professor and pointed at Tom's body. "I can't do this anymore," he said, his voice breaking.

"We need you," Nick said, softly. He took Connor's arm and led him a short distance away.

"If I hadn't have been involved, Tom would still be alive," said Connor.

"No. There's a handful of people in the whole world that know what's going on here, what we're grappling with, and you're one of them," said Nick, shaking his head. "That would've made his day. He'd have loved it."

Connor forced a teary smile.

"So you can't bail out now. Okay?"

Resolve to break, Connor nodded tensely. "Okay," he said. But the facade didn't last long. His face crumbled again and tears pricked at his eyes.

"Now, come here!" said Nick. He pulled Connor to him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and squeezing him tightly.


	5. Out of the Blue

Jayden grinned as he stepped out of the middle of the road. He had been put on sentry duty at the Forest Heights Country Club and Golf Course while the Anomaly Research team searched for a possible new creature. Home Office had got a call earlier that morning about a strange death out in the country, and their rapid deployment team for strange occurrences was led by Professor Nick Cutter.

The team consisted of lab technician Stephen Hart, Zookeeper Abby Maitland, and Zoology students Connor Temple and Sofi Wyatt. The latter was also a creature profiler and mini genius in terms of remembering information and facts, she was also rapidly becoming his new best friend.

"ID," said Jayden with a grin. He caught the offending look that Sofi threw at him before she thrust her ID out of the window. "What's happening, Sof? You're usually here with the Professor."

"Late night," Sofi answered taking back her ID.

"And you didn't invite me?"

Sofi rolled her eyes. "Not that kind of late night, Jayden," she said. "Besides, don't you have a boyfriend to stay up late with you?"

"He could've come, too," said Jayden. "So, tell me, who was the lucky guy or girl, that got to spend such a late night with you?"

"I told you, it wasn't that kind of late night."

Jayden quirked an eyebrow.

"I was looking more into the parasites that killed Tom," said Sofi. "If he is dead because I missed something..."

"You didn't miss anything, Sof," Jayden interrupted. "You did everything you could with the information you had. It's been a month, you have to let go."

"I will when I find an answer."

Jayden sighed and pulled back from the side of the car. "I'm sure you can find the club from here," he said. "Straight ahead and the opening is on the left. I'll catch up with you later."

"Thanks." Sofi pushed forward on the accelerator and drove off, turning left at the first exit and rolling to a stop behind a familiar 4x4 pickup truck. She was just getting out of her car, her boots crunching on the loose gravel underfoot, as the sound of approaching footsteps reached her senses.

Glancing back, Sofi spotted Claudia and Captain Ryan fast approaching. The latter caught her gaze and smiled. Sofi returned it as she turned away. It had been a month since the incident at the Football Stadium, and while she blamed herself for Tom's untimely death there was one good thing that had come from it.

Tom's death had hit the team hard. His death hadn't been the first they had encountered, but it had been the first they had seen with their own eyes. While every death they lost to a creature was heartbreaking, Tom's was avoidable. Sure, Tom and Duncan had made the mistake of stealing government property, so they weren't entirely innocent. But Tom was still innocent and it was the team's job to protect the innocent from the anomalies and the creatures that came through them.

The night after Tom's death, Sofi had received a visit from Captain Ryan. He had come to talk about their shifting dynamic. During the talk, they had both admitted their growing fondness and feelings for the other and decided to give hit a shot. They had agreed that their relationship couldn't interfere with work, but other than that there was nothing really stopping them from trying.

"Four hours?" Claudia questioned. "I told you to seal the perimeter, not dry stone wall it. I want it done in an hour."

"To be fair," said Sofi, turning back to the pair. "This place is roughly 1.136 miles long. That is a lot of ground to cover in just one hour."

"We need to be sure that the anomaly and whatever creature came through is contained," said Claudia.

"Well, I spoke with Nick on my way here, and he's not even sure if there is an anomaly yet," said Sofi.

"What else could it be?" Ryan asked.

Sofi shrugged. "Wild cat," she offered. "There has been rumours and tall tales about large wild cats roaming golf courses these last few years. Maybe one ran away from a private zoo, or something, and has been living out in the woodlands. Leopards and Panthers can climb trees, so they would be hard to spot from the ground."

"Leopard or Panther?" Claudia repeated.

"It has been known to happen. I mean, seven years ago, a little boy was attacked by what he described as a 'big cat' while he was out playing with his brother and friends. He had claw marks on his face that resembled and measured that of a big animal."

Claudia and Ryan stared at the teenager.

"You don't believe me, do you?" Sofi asked, reading their expressions.

Claudia shook her head. "I do believe you," she said. "But, Home Office would've been alerted to possible sights of black panthers in south-east England."

Sofi shrugged and turned back to her car.

"Where is the golfer's body?" Claudia asked Ryan.

"In the casualty clearance centre in the main house," Ryan answered.

"Are there any more victims?"

"None that we know of."

Claudia nodded. "Good. Keep me briefed," she said. She half-glanced at Sofi and then headed over to where Nick was talking with Stephen.

Sofi looked up as Claudia walked away and then turned to Ryan as appeared beside her. "What?" she asked.

"Black Panthers?" Ryan asked.

"You asked for a possibility," Sofi said.

Ryan shook his head.

Still smiling, Sofi turned back to her computer which she had set up on the hood of her car. She traced her finger over the touchpad and clicked on the WiFi icon at the bottom of the screen.

"Other than a black panther or another big cat," said Ryan. "What else could we be looking at?"

"I'd have to see the body before I can start naming possible prehistoric predators," said Sofi.

Ryan sighed and looked back at the computer screen. It was prompting Sofi for a username and password, which she entered with ease. "Your password is a bunch of random numbers?" he asked, curiously.

"Huh?" Sofi asked, confused.

"Sorry. I noticed you inputted a bunch of random numbers as your password," said Ryan. "Other than the obvious, how do you remember them?"

"Oh, because they're not a bunch of random numbers," said Sofi. She pulled up a blank Wordpad document and tapped out each individual digit of her password. "2-2-3-5. Each number corresponds to a letter, which in turn spells a name. Abel."

"Who's Abel?"

"My brother."

Ryan nodded in understanding. "Because your brother's name would be an obvious choice," he said.

"Exactly. No one is going to expect a bunch of random numbers to be spell something that was once so important to me."

"Abel is the brother that died?"

Sofi nodded. "Yeah. I was eight when he died," she explained. "He was twelve."

"How did he die?"

"You'll laugh at me," said Sofi, shaking her head.

Ryan cocked his head to the side as he stared at her. "Sofi," he said, softly. "Why would I laugh at you?"

"Because when I was eight years old, I believed in monsters," Sofi said. "Monsters killed my mother and my brother. They would've killed me, too, but my dad grabbed me and run. I can still hear my mother's screams. It's partly the reason I don't sleep well."

Ryan squeezed her shoulder, firmly and resisted the urge to draw her into his arms. "I'm sorry," he apologized. "Sorry that you lost them, and sorry for bringing it up. Maybe we should get back to work?"

Sofi nodded. Work was a good distraction for her, and she used it whenever she was reminded of the day that carved her world in half. Taking a deep breath, Sofi dried her eyes and run a hand through her hair, threading her fingers into the beach waves and shaking it out. "I need to find Nick," she said, looking around.

"I have a perimeter to seal," said Ryan. "I'll check up on you later."

"Okay. Good luck."

Walking away, Sofi glanced back at Ryan and smiled as he watched her. He returned it and headed away, barking orders at Aaron Black and another soldier that Sofi didn't know. The two jumped and followed their Captain away, although Aaron did glance at Sofi before disappearing.

Sofi frowned but shook her head as she turned back to Nick. The professor was talking with Claudia as Sofi approached. The conversation ended before she reached the pair, but the look on Claudia  _and_  Nick's faces was enough to tell the teenager that it wasn't good.

"I can leave," said Sofi, pointing at Stephen.

"No, no, you're alright," said Claudia. "What do you need?"

"I need to see the body," said Sofi. "I can't run a search without proper observation. The body will offer evidence on where to start."

Claudia nodded and walked away.

Sofi watched her leave and then turned to Nick. "Do I want to know what you guys were talking about before I walked over?" she asked.

"It's nothing," said Nick, shaking his head. He gave Sofi the once over, noticing the dark circles beneath her eyes. "Have you been sleeping properly?"

"I get a few hours here and there," said Sofi. "But I'm fine. I promise."

Nick sighed and before he could say anything further, Sofi had waltzed off towards Stephen and Abby. Both of whom were preparing to search the surrounding area for any evidence of creature involvement.

**~X~**

Sofi felt her stomach churn as the medic pulled back the sheet covering the body. The flesh had been stripped down to the bone and muscle. From the corner of her eye, Sofi saw Claudia cover her face and turn away, and she found that she couldn't blame her.

The sight was not pretty or inviting.

"He's been torn to shreds," the medic said, looking to Nick. He went to recover the body but paused when Sofi stopped him. Taking her phone from her back pocket, Sofi snapped a few pictures of the victim and the stashed her phone away. The images would come in handy during her search.

"It's almost surgical the way the flesh has been torn away so cleanly," said Nick. "There's no wastage."

"Any idea what might have done this?" Claudia asked.

"A creature of devastating power and savagery, to do that in just a few minutes," said Nick.

"Unless we're looking for more than one," said Sofi.

Nick, Claudia and the Medic turned to Sofi.

"More than one?" Claudia repeated. "You mean, like a pack?"

Sofi shrugged. "Pack, flock, swarm, either one is possible," she said. "I don't think just one creature did this. But, I won't be 100% sure until I have run a diagnostic."

"But you do think it came through an anomaly?" Claudia asked.

"That's a definite," said Sofi, nodding. "There is no creature alive today that can do this in such a short amount of time."

Nick nodded in agreement. "The first thing we have to do is find the anomaly and cordon it off," he said.

**~X~**

"No trampled or broken vegetation, no track marks and no sign of an anomaly," said Stephen. He was walking along the stretch of dry grass towards Nick. "But there is one hell of a magnetic field, so it's gotta be here somewhere. Unless there's a pylon causing interference."

Abby shook her head as she approached from the left. "Can't see anything," she said.

"Be quiet a minute and let me think here," said Nick. He walked a short distance from the pair and glanced to his left. They had taken the cars from the hotel and driven them out into the middle of the golf course, Sofi had accompanied them, but while they searched for the anomaly she was searching for possible creature incursions.

The young red-head was sat on the grass, leaning back against her car, with her laptop perched carefully on her knees.

"Quiet," Nick said suddenly. It was so sudden that he caused Abby, Stephen, and even Sofi to jump.

"We didn't say anything," said Abby.

"No, I mean it's too quiet. Listen," said Nick, indicating to the surrounding area. "There's no bird song."

"Not a peep," said Abby.

"They're scared off," said Stephen, realising quickly.

"What would scare the birds away?" Nick asked.

"A bigger bird?" Sofi asked. She had set her laptop up on the hood of her car and wandered over.

Nick looked back at the compass in his hand, turning it slowly and then looked back up at Stephen. "You were wrong, it's not a pylon. There is an anomaly," he said.

"Where?" Stephen asked, confused.

"We're standing right underneath it," Nick answered.

Sofi craned her neck and gasped. There, directly above her, was the obvious glittering ball of mass-energy. "Wow..." she breathed.

"It's an aerial predator," said Stephen. He lifted his hand to shield his eyes and started to scan the skies for any signs.

"Yeah, that's one way of putting it," Nick said.

"That helps with the search," said Sofi. "I've actually got a list of creatures that could be possible suspects - Anhanguera is my top creature. It means old devil and has a long sharp-toothed jaw."

"That would fit the damage done," said Nick.

Sofi nodded.

"We have a possible creature," said Nick. "But, how the hell do we cordon off the sky? I mean, this thing could be anywhere by now."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," said Stephen.

"It also looks like a seagull," said Sofi. "Normally, I would say that would make it stand - oof!" she cried as Abby collided with her, knocking her off her feet and into the grass.

There was a loud cry and a large body swept over them, casting a massive shadow. Wings beat against the air, causing the grass to flatten, and Sofi's hair to flutter against her neck.

"So, not so hard to find, then," said Stephen, pushing himself to his knees.

Sofi gasped and laughed as she watched the great bird glide through the air. "That is most definitely not an Anhanguera," she said.

"Then what is it?" Abby asked.

"Pterodactyloid pterosaur," Nick answered, taking a pair of binoculars from his pocket. "It's probably a Pteranodon."

"Is it what killed the golfer?" Abby asked.

"I'd say it's definitely in the frame," Stephen said, nodding.

"Well, Pteranodon was supposed to have mainly eaten small reptiles and fish," said Nick.

"Probably just snacking until humans came along," said Stephen.

But Sofi shook her head. "It's not possible," she said. "Pteranodon means 'toothless'. It has no teeth."

"Then how did it feed if it has no teeth?" Abby asked.

"According to Paleontologists, it swallowed its meal whole."

"So it didn't kill the golfer?"

Sofi shook her head. "Not according to me," she said.

"But you can't be sure," said Stephen.

Sofi glared at him before looking back at her phone as it beeped. Her computer was still running a creature search, and each new suspect was being sent to her phone.

"Why is it circling?" Abby asked.

"Looking for a roost?" Stephen suggested.

Nick shrugged and gestured around to the number of tree's available for resting. "Well, it's spoilt for choice," he said, still watching the pteranodon. "It's certainly looking for something."

"Is that Connor?" Stephen asked, suddenly. It was the abrupt change in the subject that caused Sofi to look up from her phone. Her eyes adjusted quickly and zeroed in on the fourth member of their team, he was scrambling around the golf course a few hundred yards away.

"What's he doing?" Abby asked, just as confused.

"More importantly, what's our friend up there doing?" Nick asked, lifting the binoculars to his eyes and looking up at the Pteranodon. It had stopped swooping and was no circling around above Connor.

Sofi's eyes widened as she breath caught in her throat. She was right about Pteranodon's being fish eaters. They didn't kill humans. But why did this one seem to be eyeing up Connor for the perfect lunch menu?

"He's not looking for a roost," said Stephen, shaking his head. "He's looking for lunch - Connor!"

"Connor! Come here quickly!"

But Connor didn't move. He simply stayed, hunched over, staring at the ground. Why wasn't he listening? What was more important to him than doing what he was being told?

Sofi felt her heart falter as the Pteranodon circled around and swooped down, getting lower and lower as it moved in closer to the unsuspecting human.

"Ryan! Will you come over here quickly?" Nick called, waving over the Captain, Claudia and two SAS soldiers that stood on a neighbouring hole.

"Connor, behind you!" Sofi yelled.

Pivoting on the spot, Connor looked up. His whole body tensed as his gaze found the projectile heading straight for him.

"Get into the trees!" Abby yelled.

"Run, you idiot!" Stephen shouted.

Then he was running.

"Run, Connor," Abby murmured.

"Cover it!" Ryan ordered, having arrived and already prepping to take the creature down.

"Shoot it," Claudia ordered. She had arrived last and hadn't taken in the full scene before issuing the order.

"No," said Sofi, reacting quickly. "I'm telling you, it's not a killer."

"Do it," Claudia insisted, ignoring Sofi.

"We should only kill these creatures when there's absolutely no other choice!" Sofi argued.

"Choice? What other choice? In a matter of seconds, Connor's going to be ripped to shreds," Claudia said.

"I'm telling you he won't!" Sofi cried. "The Pteranodon doesn't have the weaponry to kill someone."

Claudia shook her head and turned back to Ryan. "Follow your orders, Captain," she said.

"Yes, ma'am," Ryan replied. He and Sofi had made a deal that their relationship wouldn't interfere with their work, and while he wanted to believe that she knew what she was talking about in regards to the creature, he had orders to follow.

Sofi turned away, her eyes closed, but a loud resounding bang caused her to whirl around again. Nick had launched himself at Ryan, pushing the Captain's arm and gun aside, causing a misfire.

"It's out of range," Ryan said. He had attempted a second attack, but it was useless. The creature was too far away to reach.

The creature screeched and pulled out of its dive. But not before, Sofi noticed, it snapped at something to the left of Connor.

"Did you see that?" Sofi asked Nick.

The Professor nodded and lifted his binoculars.

"I really wish you hadn't done that," Claudia said, watching as the creature disappeared into the skies. "God knows how many people you just condemned to death."

Sofi shook her head. She had thought about arguing but decided it would be better to just stay quiet this time.

"Wait a minute," said Nick. "There's a lizard with him."

"A lizard?"

"Coelurosauravus."

"Oh, he let Rex escape!" Abby groaned.

Sofi paused and turned to the blonde.

Realising what she had said, and more importantly said out loud, Abby grimaced and turned back to the others.

"What have you done?" Claudia asked.

"You kept him?" Nick questioned.

"No," Abby said, trying to deny the inevitable. She caved under the looks she was receiving from the others. "Yeah. Yes. He came back. I was just looking after him."

"What do you think we're doing here? Running some kind of private zoo?" Claudia asked. She was more annoyed than angry.

"I'm sorry, guys," Abby apologised.

"That's why your flat was so hot," Stephen said.

Abby smiled, weakly.

"Look, we don't know enough about the creature yet," said Nick, glancing at Sofi.

"I'm on it," Sofi said, turning and jogging over to her car. She grabbed her laptop from the book and slipped into the driver's seat, setting the computer down on the seat beside her.

"Lester was right," Claudia scoffed. "You people are a menace. What do you think we're doing here, Nick? Playing some kind of game?"

"Nobody's taking this more seriously than we are," Nick defended.

Taking the binoculars from Nick, Stephen searched the skies for the Pteranodon. "Look, it's wounded, okay? So it's not going to go far. It needs to roost," he explained.

"I hope you're right," Claudia sighed. "For all our sakes. Come on."

Looking up from her computer, Sofi met Ryan's gaze and looked away, quickly. She knew that she would have to face him eventually, but right now she felt that they were better off apart.

**~X~**

" _Pteranodon was a flying reptile that lived during the time of the dinosaurs - it was not a dinosaur, but was a close relative of the dinosaurs. Pteranodon's wing-span is longer than that of any known bird. It had a crest on its head, no teeth at all, and a very short tail._ "

"You don't actually believe all that, do you?"

Sofi sighed and looked up as Aaron Black leaned against the car next to her. "Believe what?" she asked. "Science? Archaeology? Palaeontologists?"

Black shrugged. "All I am saying is they based their findings on a fossilised bone from the ground," he said. "How can you be certain that what they say is true? Especially when you have the living breathing creature on the other side of a gateway."

"Oh, maybe because there have been records of fossilised animal remains inside their stomachs," said Sofi. "But, yes, you're right. They based everything they know about these creatures on a bone from the ground."

"Then how do you know is the truth?"

Sofi shrugged. "I have a gut feeling, and it's never led me astray before," she said.

"First time for everything."

Sofi rolled her eyes and turned back to the computer. She was drawing up a character profile for the Pteranodon for Nick, while the man in question paced nearby. He was waiting for real-time images to come through on Stephen's laptop to tell him where the Pteranodon had gone to roost.

"Black!"

Aaron looked around as Ryan approached from behind. He passed a glance at Sofi and then quickly left, leaving her alone with his Captain.

_"Pteranodon found as fossils in North American deposits dating from about 90 million to 100 million years ago during the Late Cretaceous Period. A crest at the back of the skull (a common feature among pterosaurs) may have functioned in species recognition; the crest of males was larger. The crest is often thought to have counterbalanced the jaws or have been necessary for steering in flight, but several pterosaurs had no crests at all. As compared with the size of the wings, the body was small (about as large as a modern turkey), but the hind limbs were relatively large compared with the torso."_

Sofi purposely kept her gaze on her computer screen, but despite that, she could feel Ryan's gaze on her. Every move she made, every tap of her keys, he watched her, silently.

Swallowing hard, Sofi paused in her search and closed her eyes. "What?" she asked.

"I only did what I had to," said Ryan.

"So did I," Sofi replied. She turned away from the computer and met his gaze. "Look, I'm not being sentimental. There are good reasons for not killing the creatures."

"And you're sure about that?"

"Of course I'm sure!" Sofi said. "We can't mess with the past. Who knows the damage we can cause." She paused as if preparing herself to say something, before deciding against it and shaking her head. "These creatures are not the problem. We can't just kill them just because we don't understand them."

"What if it had killed Connor earlier?" Ryan asked. "Or, what if it is the creature that killed the golfer?"

"It's not," Sofi argued. "I know it's not."

Ryan sighed and looked away, pressing a finger to his earpiece. He then turned back to Sofi. "I hope you're right," he said, before turning to Claudia, Nick and Stephen. "Real-time images are coming through now," he told them.

Sofi watched as Stephen pinpointed the location of the Pteranodon on the screen.

"Office building less than a mile away," Ryan answered, as the chatter over his radio silenced. "Should be empty on a Saturday. Let's go!" he added to his men around him.

"Sofi," Nick called. "Stay here. Profile me some more creatures."

Sofi nodded and turned her attention back to her computer. She glanced up at Ryan as he headed for the passenger side of his car. He nodded once at her, and she smiled in return. They still needed to talk, but for now, it seemed that they were on the same page.

**~X~**

An hour or two later, Sofi had moved indoors and was working at a small table inside the foyer of the hotel. She was in the process of adding to her Pteranodon character profile and simultaneously running a secondary search on possible carnivorous pterosaur's when the doors crashed open.

Sofi yelped and jumped out of her seat.

"Sorry. Sorry," Nick apologised, hurrying inside. Behind him, supported on a stretcher and completely unconscious was Claudia.

Sofi's eyed widened and she followed Nick into the casualty clearance room. The golfer's body had been removed and taken to the nearest hospital morgue, leaving the room free for use should any of the team be injured.

"What happened?" Sofi asked.

While Nick explained what had happened, the Medic wheeled the unconscious Claudia into a bay and put the brakes on wheels. He left the room for a few minutes and later returned with his supply bag. Sofi watched as he set up a small bottle of oxygen, attached a mask, and carefully slipped the elastic cord around Claudia's head and covered her mouth.

"Where is the Pteranodon now?" Sofi asked.

"Back at the anomaly site," Nick answered. "How's the creature profile coming along?"

Sofi left the room to grab her computer and then returned, showing what she had so far to Nick. "I am also running a second search on Pterosaur's that could've killed the Golfer," she explained.

"Are you sure that the Pteranodon didn't do it?" Nick asked.

"Yes," Sofi said. "Nick, you of all people should know that I am telling the truth."

Nick placed a hand on Sofi's shoulder. "Alright, I believe you," he said. "I just had to ask."

Sofi sighed and brushed a hand through her hair.

"Are you okay?" Nick asked, curiously.

"I don't know," Sofi answered. "I just don't understand why the initial reaction to something one doesn't understand is to kill it. Claudia didn't even give the Pteranodon a chance. She just took one look at it, and signed its death certificate."

Nick placed both his hands on Sofi's shoulders. "A lot of people do things out of fear," he said.

"But the Pteranodon wasn't hurting anyone."

"Maybe not. But it looks big and scary."

Sofi took a deep breath and run a hand over her face. She wasn't sure why, but a shiver had run down her spine and tears appeared in her eyes. "We have a chance in a lifetime to see these creatures in their natural glory," she said, shaking her head.

"I know," Nick grinned. "It's exciting and thrilling. But it's also terrifying. We don't know what these creatures are capable of. They're fossils only tell us so much."

"That's what Aaron Black said to me," said Sofi. "He said that I shouldn't rely too much on my research as we can't be sure it's accurate. But, I don't want to believe that is true. My research has never failed me before."

"Hey, you, yourself know that research can only take you so far," said Nick. "It's only one side of a story. As you continue writing your thesis, you will learn that having your own point of view is important. Yes, your research has helped, but trusting this," he pointed at her head, "is just as important as this," he tapped her laptop.

Sofi blinked and licked her lips, considering his words.

"Alright?" Nick asked.

Sofi nodded. She understood he was trying to teach her a lesson, but she was failing to see the meaning at that moment.

"Good girl," said Nick, hugging with one arm.

**~X~**

"I wouldn't get too close if I were you," said Ryan, shaking his head at Stephen. They were at the anomaly site, overlooking the unconscious Pteranodon. "That thing could come round at any time."

Stephen looked up at Ryan as he checked the eyelids of the giant reptile. Over the Captain's shoulder, he saw Sofi pull up in her Mustang, her phone pressed to her ear as she stepped out of the car. "She's going to be out for hours yet," he assured the soldier.

A loud gurgling sound came from the other end of the trailer, and Stephen hurried around.

"Oh nice," said Ryan, disgustedly.

"You have no idea how revealing dung can be," Stephen said, sitting on the edge of the trailer and reaching under the tarp. "You can learn a lot from it." He withdrew his hand and placed a small drop of faeces onto his tongue.

Sofi shuddered as she wandered over. "Stephen, that's gross," she said, startling Ryan. "Is your name Stephen?" she added, turning back to the phone conversation. "He's not doing anything you need to worry about. Just send me the description and I'll run it through the database." She hung up.

"Connor?" Stephen asked.

"How'd you guess?" Sofi asked, rolling her eyes with a slight annoyance.

Stephen offered her a small smile and then reached for her phone. "You mind?" he asked.

"Let me guess," said Sofi, handing over the phone with a grin. "No human remains?"

"No one likes a sore winner, Sof," said Stephen, scrolling through her contacts in search of Nick's number.

"Depends on your point of view," said Sofi, softly.

Stephen shot her a soft glare and then turned back to the call as Nick answered. He relayed everything he had learned as Sofi turned and headed back to her car.

"I guess I owe you an apology," said Ryan, catching up.

Sofi shook her head. "You didn't disagree with me on who the killer may or may not have been," she said. "Only on how to deal with it. But, as I have reminded myself before now, you're just following orders. We also agreed that whatever is going on between us wouldn't interfere with work, this was just one of those times."

"Guess we still have some kinks to work out, huh?"

Sofi gave a small chuckled smile and nodded. "Yeah, I guess we do," she agreed. "It's just a new dynamic. We just need to figure out how it works."

Ryan pressed a small kiss to her forehead and then rested his own against hers. He wanted to kiss her properly, but they hadn't announced their relationship the rest of the team yet, and he figured now was not the best time to do so.

"Hey, Sof," Stephen called, jogging over. Ryan and Sofi separated and Stephen tossed Sofi's mobile to her. "Connor just text. Something about winged pterosaurs in the woods."

"Yeah, he has the description, I have the database," said Sofi. She took her phone and opened the messages, inputting the description into the parameters and hitting enter. The computer beeped as it sorted through several different possible candidates before settling on one in particular.

"That looks nasty," said Jayden. He had wandered over with Jacobs and inspected the screen from over Sofi's head. "What's it called - Anuro - Anurag -"

"Anurognathus," Sofi answered. "Basically it's a short-headed pterosaur with pin-like teeth for catching insects, and yes," she added to Ryan, "it is capable of stripping flesh clean from the bone. Stephen!" she called, turning away from the computer and heading back to the Pteranodon.

Stephen looked up at her approach and caught the mobile as she tossed it back at him. He checked the screen. "Anurognathus," he said, reading the screen. His eyes flickered from one line to the next as he absorbed the information Sofi had found. "Are you sure?" he asked. "Neither of these species came from the same prehistoric epoch."

"I know. But the Anurognathus is the only thing that matches Connor's description," said Sofi. "It could also explain why we haven't seen any during our searches. Recently, a fossil was found with an Anurognathus' wings bent inwards, towards its body. It is believed that they did this to make themselves invisible to predators and pray."

"You mean it can camouflage itself?" Jacobs asked.

Sofi shook her head. "No, not camouflage," she said. "Just blend in with the foliage. By pressing itself against the branch of a tree and hiding among the leaves, it would be harder to spot from the ground."

Ryan's phone sounded and he turned away to answer it.

"Are there any normal dinosaurs?" Jacobs asked. "You know, like the ones you see on  _Jurassic Park_?"

"Don't believe everything you see on TV," said Sofi, smiling.

Returning from his phone call, Sofi noticed the look on Ryan's face and immediately straightened. "What happened?" she asked, quickly.

"The Professor and Claudia," said Ryan. "They're trapped in the hotel and are under attack by a swarm of pterosaurs. He didn't give me a description of them, only that he needed help."

"Then what are you waiting for?" Stephen asked. "Go!"

Ryan looked to Sofi and she nodded. "Go, they need you more than we do," she said.

"Alright. Let's move!" Ryan ordered his men.

Jayden squeezed Sofi's shoulder as he passed, heading straight for one of the nearby cars. He climbed into the back, along with Shawn and Jacobs as Graham and Aaron occupied the front. Meanwhile, Ryan and three other soldiers took to the second car, leaving Stephen and Sofi alone with the Pteranodon.

"What are the chances they get there on time?" Sofi asked.

Stephen shook his head. "Don't think like that, Sof," he said. "They'll make it."

"What about Connor and Abby?" Sofi asked. She turned to face Stephen, holding out her hand for her phone.

Stephen tossed the small device back and Sofi redialled Connor's number.

**~X~**

As the day drew to a close, Sofi found herself at the anomaly site with the whole team. She had been relieved to learn that Claudia and Nick had made it out of the hotel in one piece, and even more surprised when Claudia had revealed that Helen Cutter had saved her life. The surprise soon give way to suspicion.

"You think she has ulterior motives?" Jayden asked.

Sofi shrugged. "I don't know, maybe," she said. "I mean, what else does she get out of knocking me through an anomaly and then saving Claudia?"

"Technically, she doesn't get anything," said Shawn.

"Do you remember what she said to you after she knocked you through?" Jacobs asked.

Sofi sighed and shook her head. It had been a month since the Dodos, and she had been battling a concussion at the same time, so Helen's words had been lost on her. There were times that she wished she could remember, as the not knowing scared the hell out of her. What was Helen's plan?

"Guys," Connor called from beneath the anomaly. He had been checking its stability with the compass. "You'd better be quick. I don't think the anomaly's going to hold much longer."

Abandoning their conversation, Sofi returned to Abby's side. The blonde was sitting alongside the Pteranodon, tracing her finger down its beak. While Jayden, Shawn, and Jacobs took up their positions around the trailer, their guns pointed at the flying reptile.

"It's okay, baby. You'll be home soon," Abby said as the Pteranodon tried to lift its head. It failed and fell limply back onto the trailer.

Looking up, Sofi saw Stephen give the 'go ahead' sign as he jogged back to the trailer. He jumped the awning attaching the trailer to the back of Nick's truck and carefully slipped around Sofi and Abby as they both untied the tarp covering the Pteranodon.

"Okay, soldier boy," Stephen said, nodding at Ryan as he untied the lower part of the tarp, releasing the Pteranodon's wings.

"All right, we're ready. Let her go!" Nick called from his vantage point. He unfurled the red flag in his hands and raised it above his head.

Pulling back the tarp, Connor and Stephen backed away from the trailer as the great flying reptile carefully manoeuvred herself onto her feet. She leaned on the edge, shaking her head to clear the fuzziness left behind by the tranquiliser, and then took off into the air with a loud screech.

The only problem being... she was going the wrong way.

"Turn around!"

"Over here!"

"Come back!"

"Hey! Come on! Over here!"

"This way!"

"Over here!"

"Hey! Yeah, this way!"

The Pteranodon beat its wings and swooped around, heading back towards them.

Sofi grinned as it swooped down low, almost touching them as it passed overhead. It's great shadow causing a momentary blanket of darkness before it was beating its wings again, and lifting its massive body back into the air.

With one final screech, the Pteranodon disappeared through the anomaly and it itself closed with a blink.


	6. Collision Course, Part I

"If we're going to defend ourselves more effectively then we've got to do more than just react," said Claudia. "We've got to discover why these anomalies are opening, and then predict when the next one will appear."

"I've actually been trying to do that," said Sofi.

Claudia and Nick both jumped and turned to the door. Neither one had noticed Sofi arrive, and the sheepish look on her face told them that she hadn't been there long.

"Sorry," Sofi apologised. "The door was open. I didn't realise Claudia was here until she started speaking, and I couldn't help myself when you said about trying to predict the next anomaly," she added to the redhead.

Nick smiled. "We do have an appointment booked for now," he said. "Granted it's not to talk about anomalies, though."

"I've been known to multitask," Sofi grinned.

Claudia smiled at the teenager. "You have information on the anomalies?" she asked.

"I've been researching possible past anomalies," said Sofi, hurrying down the three steps into Nick's office. She walked over to his desk and set her laptop down, it had been tucked under her arm along with a pale blue folder. "I've taken samples from every anomaly we've encountered up to this point, except the one at the golf course, and I even took samples from the Permian era."

"What did you find?" Nick asked.

"Unfortunately, not much," said Sofi. "It would seem these anomalies are a natural occurrence and not created because of an unbalance somewhere here or in the past. Someone like Connor, for example, would say that there is an issue with the time continuum."

Claudia and Nick smiled in amusement.

"Anyway," said Sofi, shaking her head. She popped open the pale blue folder and tugged out her notes. "These are all possible creature sightings that could've come from an anomaly."

She handed the pile of notes over to the two adults.

Nick took them and glanced through. There were numerous creature profiles, ranging from the Loch Ness Monster in Scotland to the Taniwha monster in New Zealand.

"How does this help us predict when the next anomaly will appear?" Claudia asked.

"My theory is that all these," Sofi pointed at the creature profiles, "are fixed points of anomalies. There could be a rupture at any given moment, reopening the anomalies just like it did before."

"Do you have any proof?" Nick asked.

Sofi shook her head as she took back her creature profiles. "Not yet," she said. "I need more time."

"How much time?" Claudia asked.

"That's like asking how many jelly beans are in a jar," said Sofi. "Unless you're the one that counted them all, there's no telling."

Claudia sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose as she turned away.

Nick and Sofi shared a concerned look.

"Are you okay?" Nick asked.

"Um, I haven't been sleeping well," Claudia admitted. "Bad dreams."

Sofi murmured under her breath and turned back to Nick's desk. She knew the issues with not being able to sleep, to be plagued with images that made it terrifying to close your eyes.

"By the way," Claudia added, as she headed up the steps to the door. She turned back to face Nick. "When those things were attacking us, you kissed me. On the lips.

Nick half-glanced at Sofi and then turned back to Claudia. "I know," he admitted, almost sheepishly.

"You do know that sexual harassment is a serious disciplinary offence in the civil service?" Claudia asked. The corners of her lips tilted upwards into a teasing smile.

The look on Nick's face, as Claudia left, was enough to make Sofi let out a playful laugh.

**~X~**

Jayden looked around at the sound of slamming doors. He hefted his rifle over his shoulder and headed in the direction of Professor Cutter's truck, and the three occupants that had just got out.

"What's going on, Jayden?" Sofi asked.

"Jacobs was on duty this morning," said Jayden. "He said one minute everything was normal, and the next he could hear the tearing of metal. He came to check and found this..." he motioned to the twisted metal fence surrounding the original anomaly site.

"It took a lot of strength to twist these," said Stephen, observing the damage.

Nick nodded and passed through the opening. Waiting on the other side was Captain Ryan and Lieutenant Graham.

"We should make sure that there is no creature incursion," said Nick, looking back at Stephen.

Stephen nodded and headed off away from the scene. Sofi watched him leave, her gaze trailing away from the damaged perimeter fence and out into the parking area. It was the same one she had visited with Nick, Stephen, and Connor two months ago.

"I can see the cogs turning," said Jayden to Sofi. "What are you thinking?"

"I just got a strange feeling of deja vu," said Sofi. She paused and turned back to the gaping hole in the fence.

"As in, you've seen this before?"

Sofi nodded, slowly.

"Where?"

"I don't remember," Sofi sighed. "I just have this nagging feeling that this has happened before."

Soon, Stephen returned, bringing with him no obvious proof of a creature incursion. "No trail, no footprints, nothing," he said, passing through the opening and stopping beside Cutter.

"Are you sure you didn't miss anything?" Cutter asked.

"If there's anything out there, we'd have found it by now," said Stephen.

"Must've gone back," said Ryan, turning back to the anomaly.

Stephen followed his gaze and stopped Sofi. The teenager was kneeling in front of the open anomaly a few feet away. "What's she doing?" he asked.

Nick glanced around. "She's map referencing," he said. "This anomaly proves her rupture point theory."

"Find anything interesting, Sof?" Stephen called.

Sofi stood and headed back, along with Jayden. She was holding a map and pen in one hand and a glass jar in another. "I can't decide whether it's a scale or skin," she said, holding up the jar. Inside was a flaky piece of black tissue.

"Where did you find that?" Ryan asked.

"Within the anomaly area," said Sofi. "There's no serration or scuffs to indicate that it's been torn off. It's like, whatever it was attached too, just shed it."

"Like a snake?" Jayden asked, shivering.

"Or even a bat," said Sofi.

Jayden closed his eyes. "Great, I hate bats as much as I hate snakes," he grumbled.

Sofi shot him an incredulous look.

Nick passed Sofi back her specimen. "There's only one way to find out what it is exactly," he said.

Sofi nodded. "I need to go home," she said.

**~X~**

The next morning, Sofi was awoken to the sound of her computer beeping. It had run a full diagnostic on the specimen she had brought back from the anomaly site yesterday, and the results were in. As she stumbled down the stairs from her bedroom, and into the lab, her phone rang.

Sofi answered it.

" _How soon can you meet me at the university?"_ Nick asked.

Sofi checked the clock on her computer. "Half an hour?" she asked.

" _That's perfect."_

"Can I ask why?" Sofi asked.

" _Helen made contact with Stephen,_ " said Nick. " _She says she has information that we're going to want to hear._ "

"I hate to sound like Lester, but can she be trusted?"

Nick chuckled. " _We aren't sure_ ," he said. " _But her information is concerning the disappearances that have been happening, and she did ask to meet with both Lester and me. Helen would only do that if the information she had is valuable in some way._ "

"Fair point."

Sofi looked around as the printer spat out her results page. "I have the results back from the specimen I found in the Forest of Dean," she said. "Analysis confirms that it is in fact skin, and it was shed not torn off."

" _Skin from what?_ "

"I don't have an answer for that," said Sofi. "There is no animal that I can think of that has this kind of skin."

" _Mhm._ "

"I'll run another scan, see if I missed anything, but I'm pretty sure I haven't," said Sofi. "But I'll see you in a few."

" _Alright._ "

Sofi hung up and turned to her computer. She changed the settings of her analysis and hit enter on the keyboard. The results would take a few hours to come back, but she had set up the results to be sent to her phone so that she wouldn't have to return after she had checked in with Nick.

"Behave, you pair," she said to Toby and Figaro as she left her lab and headed through the loft. She scratched each one behind the ears and then grabbed her backpack, keys, and headed downstairs to her car.

**~X~**

Helen Cutter looked like a woman on a mission as she approached the rendezvous point at the University. Waiting for her was her husband Nick, ex-student Stephen, Home Office officials Claudia Brown and James Lester, and Nick's current student Sofi.

"You have a serious creature incursion," Helen said, once she had reached them. "A highly evolved ambush predator. Intelligent, adaptable and ruthless."

"If there was a creature on the loose, we'd know about it," said Claudia, pointing out the obvious.

"At least three people have disappeared in the last few days," said Helen.

"Missing," said Lester.

"Killed," Helen corrected. "The creature has a lair somewhere nearby. It's taken them for food."

"Now how do you know that?" Nick asked.

"Because it nearly got me, too."

Silence followed her statement. Nick looked concerned, while Stephen and Sofi shared a look. They both knew that Helen was too good at surviving to be just caught off guard by some random creature. But that also meant that she had been within visual range for the creature, and could easily identify its species.

"What is it?" Stephen asked.

"It has no name," Helen answered.

"Then which era is it from?" Nick asked.

"It doesn't come from any era," said Helen, approaching her husband. "At least not one that can be identified yet."

"Yet?" Sofi repeated.

Helen turned to the teenager. She had never been a soft or sentimental person, but there was something about Sofi that made her curious. Interested even.

"Sof?" Nick asked.

Sofi stared at Helen. "As you know, an era is a long and distinct period of history," she explained. "If this creature is from a period that we don't know about yet, then it can't be from the past."

"I'm sorry, I don't understand," said Nick.

"She's saying that we're being attacked by a predator from the future," said Sofi.

Helen grinned.

"How can you be sure?" Nick asked.

"I've seen a lot of amazing creatures, but nothing like this one," said Helen. "It has human levels of intelligence and an almost supernatural ability to stalk its prey. It could be right here now watching us and we'd never know."

"If it's so clever, how did you see it?" Claudia asked.

"I discovered it in the Permian, just after a kill," Helen answered. "It was feeding and its defences were down."

"What does it look like?" Nick asked.

"Like a great ape, but bigger, faster. And a lot more agile."

Lester sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Hold on, what makes you so certain that it's not some lost species that's just disappeared from the evolutionary record?" Nick asked.

Helen shook her head. "No, Nick. It's not like any creature from the Permian or any other prehistoric era. The only possible explanation is that it strayed through a future anomaly into the Permian era, and then on into ours."

Sofi turned away from the conversation and rested against the side of the bridge. She stared down into the rippling waters, and her reflection stared back at her.

"You know, I'm really beginning to regret not staying in management consultancy," Lester sighed. "So now it's the future as well. And apparently, we can't do a damn thing about it."

"She didn't say we couldn't do a damn thing about it," said Sofi, turning back to the group. "She said that it's going to be a little harder to deal with this creature than what we're used too."

"What are you thinking, Sof?" Stephen asked.

Sofi glanced at him. "Well, first, I say that we try and figure out what this thing is," she said. She paused and then turned to Helen. "You said it looked like a great ape?"

Helen nodded.

"That would match the skin follicle I found in the Forest of Dean this morning," said Sofi. "As for the speed side of things, an ape can run between 20-25mph, and their agility is better than humans as they've been known to jump from one tree to the next in a single bound, and can catch themselves sharply if they miss."

"So, we're dealing with a great ape?" Claudia asked.

"Maybe," said Sofi. "The only thing that doesn't fit a great ape is the ability to stalk its prey, and besides, apes are herbivores. They eat plants. Why would an ape want to kill humans for food?"

Helen grinned at Sofi. It was fascinating to watch her work.

"We could be dealing with a sort of hybrid-like creature," said Sofi. "It could've been created in a lab and then got loose and just manifested itself over the years, or it is a natural occurrence where two different species bred."

"Do you know of any animals with an almost supernatural ability to stalk prey?" Stephen asked.

"Not off the top of my head, no," said Sofi. "But that's why its called research."

Stephen rolled his eyes although he couldn't help but smile.

**~X~**

"Had any luck on figuring out what this thing is?" Ryan asked Sofi as he approached. He and the rest of the special forces had arrived at the Zoo just as requested by Stephen and had found him and Abby Maitland under the sea lion enclosure with, what he could only describe as a monster from hell.

Sofi looked up from her journal. Ryan noted, as he glimpsed the page, that it wasn't just full of writing but also included weird symbols and drawings.

"You never told me you could draw," said Ryan.

"Anybody can draw," said Sofi, closing her journal and getting out of her car. "A lot of people see drawing as a talent, when in fact it is a skill. And a skill can be learned."

Ryan inclined his head as he leaned against the green Mustang beside Sofi. "Still doesn't answer my question," he said.

"In a way, it kind of does," said Sofi. She opened her journal again and showed him the image she had been sketching when he approached. "I took the details of what you say the creature looked like and tried to create an actual image for us."

Ryan took the book in hand and inspected the image. "This is really good," he said, looking at her. "It doesn't look like a great ape, though."

"This thing looks more malnourished than anything," said Sofi, taking back the journal. "If it's feeding as much as Helen says it is, then it shouldn't be looking like this."

"What else have you concluded?" Ryan asked.

Sofi shrugged. "That I may have been right and we're not dealing with a great ape," she said. "I do think we're dealing a sort of hybrid. Maybe a chimaera-like creature. But what kind, I don't know."

Ryan nodded. "Which brings me to my next question," he said. "Any ideas on how we go about catching it? If it's as fast as she says..."

"I've actually been thinking about that," said Sofi. "She said that it had an almost supernatural ability to stalk its prey, well, there are a few methods that animals alive today use in order to find prey that can be classed as supernatural. Echolocation, for one."

"How do you combat echolocation?"

"Easy. We need dogs."

Ryan quirked an eyebrow at Sofi. "Dogs?" he repeated.

"Come on," Sofi smiled, pushing off of her car and taking his hand. She pulled him over to where Nick, Stephen and Connor were waiting. "You'll see what I mean."

**~X~**

After a thorough search of the Zoo, the team headed into the surrounding woods. Each Special Forces soldier, save for Ryan and Graham, were equipped with search dogs. It seemed, not only had Sofi come to the conclusion that they would need dogs to search for this creature, but Helen had also told Claudia of the same solution.

"What do we do when we find this thing?" Ryan asked. He was walking alongside Sofi and Professor Cutter. They were heading the search party.

"We kill it," Nick answered.

Ryan paused and glanced at Sofi. She had been firm about killing the creatures unless absolutely necessary, but now she didn't flinch at the idea. "But I thought we only killed these creatures in self-defence?"

"This one is too dangerous," said Nick.

Sofi lifted her gaze to Ryan's. "If we kill this creature it doesn't change the past or the present," she said. "The future isn't written yet."

"Shoot to kill," Ryan said, taking a deep breath. "That's a refreshing change. I was beginning to feel like a social worker."

Sofi shared an amused look with Nick.

Then the scenery changed. Rather than an open space that allowed Zoo animals to navigate, it was nothing but wood and trees. The foliage was so thick in the treetops that hardly any sun penetrated the ground.

Sofi could see sunspots here and there all over the forest floor.

The team spaced out, as did the Special Forces. The dogs were scuffling. But there was no reaction to anything.

Sofi trailed away from Nick. She jumped over a decayed log in the middle of the forest and knocked a rock away with the tip of her boot. She loved being outside. Collecting different things to examine. Her father had always used to say that the world was her oyster, and all she had to do was search for its pearl. She had found many pearls in her nineteen years, but this team she was now a part of was so different. It had started off as a hoax hunt but had quickly turned it to something so much more.

A dog barked.

One. Two. Even three...

All the dogs were barking.

Whipping around, Sofi met Nick's gaze and saw the bewilderment on his face. The creature had to be nearby or the dogs wouldn't have been reacting.

Then someone screamed.

Sofi turned, just in time to see a soldier disappear behind a tree.

Another scream.

Another soldier disappeared.

"Where is it?" Ryan asked. His voice drowned out by the dogs extensive barking.

The dogs strained against their handler's leads, wanting to be let loose and attack. But, attack what? There was nothing there?

More screams. The soldiers on the perimeter were being picked off.

_**Crack** _

Sofi froze. Slowly, she pivoted on the spot and raised her head. The leaves above her were moving, but she could barely make out a mass of shadow jumping from one tree to the next.

"Look up!" Nick yelled.

Then the creature was no longer hiding.

It sat, or stood, Sofi wasn't sure, in an opening directly above her. She gasped, her eyes widening as she took the creature in all its glory. It triggered a memory in the back of her mind. A memory she had locked away due to it being too painful to deal with. The day her mother and brother were killed. She could hear her brother, Abel shouting at her. Shouting at her to run.

Then the creature dropped.

"SOFI!"

Sofi hit the ground as the creature landed on her stomach. She shielded her face with her arm and felt a searing pain as pin-like claws slashed at the underside of her arm and the palm of her hand. She bit back a loud cry and kept her eyes squeezed tightly shut.

_**BANG!** _

The sound resounded in the area.

The creature pulled back and snarled.

Then the pressure on Sofi's chest was gone. She slowly opened her eyes and saw the creature running off into the trees. She let out a slow breath and pushed herself into a sitting position. Her arm and hand stung. She looked down and saw the deep wounds that now resided on her skin, dyed red by the blood they were oozing.

"Sofi," Nick called, running over with Ryan and Stephen. Jayden wasn't far behind.

"You okay?" Stephen asked. He knelt beside the teenager and quickly inspected her wounds. "These are pretty deep." He ripped off a chunk of his shirt and used it to wrap up her arm and hand.

"What the hell was that thing?" Jayden asked.

Nick shook his head. "I don't know. But I think we're going to need a bigger gun," he said.

Sofi winced as Stephen and Jayden helped her stand. She looked at Nick and shook her head. "We don't need a bigger gun," she said. "We need a new plan."

**~X~**

"Maybe you should go home?" Ryan suggested.

Sofi looked at him and shook her head. "It was suggested that I go home after I got a concussion in the Football stadium," she said. "I didn't leave then and I'm not leaving now. I'll see this through the end."

"Are you sure? You took a nasty hit."

"I took a nasty hit last time."

"Sofi," Ryan sighed. "I only want what's best for you."

"Then stop trying to get rid of me."

"I'm not... That's not what I meant."

Sofi shook her head. "Honestly, Ryan, I'm fine," she said. "It's just a scratch. It's been stitched and wrapped up, and besides, if I go home now, I'm just going to be worrying about you lot. I'd rather be here doing something than sitting at home. I can't do anything from there."

Ryan stared at her for a second longer and then nodded. "Alright," he said. "Alright. But..."

"Stick close?"

Ryan smiled. "I just don't want anything to happen to you," he said. "Nothing permanent, anyway."

Sofi fought back a blush and hugged him, pressing a quick kiss to his cheek. "I'm not that easy to get rid of," she assured him. "Now, come on. We need a new plan." She took his hand and led him back to where the others had gathered. Helen Cutter was also present.

Helen looked up as Sofi returned. She watched the teenager closely, cocking her head to the side and glancing at her bandaged hand. She smirked at the girl's resilience and ability to bounce back, especially after an attack from this particular predator. Others had not been so lucky.

"It was one step ahead of us all the time," said Nick. He was pacing the forest, kicking up leaves in his path. "Knew what we were going to do before we even did it."

"I warned you it was smart," said Helen. She was leaning against a tree, shredding an apple with her hunting knife.

"It would be more helpful if you could tell us how to catch it," said Nick, turning to her quickly.

Helen smirked and merely cut off a chunk of apple.

"What we need is something that gives us an edge. Some weakness in its defences" said, Stephen. "Otherwise, it's just going to pick us off one by one."

Connor cocked his head to the side and then turned to Sofi. "What made you think that we needed dogs?" he asked.

"Huh?" Sofi asked, blinking.

"You suggested that we use dogs to try and track this thing," said Connor. "What brought you to that conclusion?"

Sofi paused and then turned to Helen. "It was actually something you said yesterday," she said. "You said that this creature had an 'almost supernatural ability to stalk its prey', and it just got me thinking about different methods that some animals use, and the only ability that comes close is echolocation."

"Which is why you suggested dogs," said Connor, grinning. "That's why they went crazy before it attacked. They heard something."

Helen grinned at the pair of them.

"It's using sound?" Jayden asked, confused.

"That's why it manages to stay ahead of us," said Nick. "It can detect physical movement before it's within visual range."

"And the dogs, they detect a higher frequency, therefore they know when it's nearby," said Connor.

"But isn't echolocation used in dolphins?" Jayden asked.

"Most mammals, like dolphins, use high-frequency sound waves to detect prey. It's basically a sonar system," said Sofi.

"Bats also use it," said Stephen. He turned to Connor. "You said there was bat blood in the lion enclosure."

"And the analysis of the sample I found in the Forest of Dean matched that of a bat," said Sofi. The results she had run earlier that morning had finally come in, sending an email alert to her phone and explaining the type of species the skin sample was from. It hadn't said 'bat' exactly, but it was a close match than any other animal.

Connor grinned. "That's it. That's it. This thing must be some kind of... I don't, super-bat," he said.

"He's right," said Helen, speaking for the first time in a while. "Three-quarters of all mammal species are bats or rats. Maybe the future belongs to them."

Jayden shuddered.

"We can use its own weapon against it," said Nick.

"An oscilloscope," said Connor.

"It's in the car," Sofi said.

Nick nodded at Connor. "Go get it," he said.

Connor took off.

Sofi turned to Stephen. "If we don't know where this thing is," she said. "Is it really safe to let him go alone?"

Stephen winked at her and then headed off after Connor.

With both of them gone, Nick turned to Sofi. "You okay?" he asked.

"I don't know," Sofi answered.

Nick put his arm around Sofi's shoulders and led her away from the group. They were shadowed by Ryan. His job was to keep them safe, no matter the cost.

"What's going on?" Nick asked.

Sofi paused and took a deep breath. "When I saw that thing... before it attacked me... it felt like I couldn't breathe," she whispered. "I felt like I was eight years old again, and I was watching my mother and brother die all over. I can't remember the monster that killed them, and I haven't been able to face that day since it happened, I just pushed it away and locked it uptight."

Nick waited silently.

"Why would this creature trigger that memory?" Sofi asked.

"Maybe your subconscious is trying to tell you something?" Nick suggested.

"Like what? That I've encountered this creature before?" Sofi asked. "And I just, what? Forgot about it?"

Nick shrugged. "Maybe. Maybe the encounter with this creature coincides with the death of your mother and brother, and since their death is something you aren't ready to face yet you've pushed it, and the encounter aside." He placed his hand on her shoulder and squeezed. "Our mind will go to great lengths to protect us, Sof. But it can also drag up memories when we least expect it."

"Well, if it is trying to tell me something, what should I do?"

"Listening works."

Sofi swallowed. "But, if the two do overlap, then dragging up one will drag up the other, right?" she asked.

"That's usually how it works, yeah," Nick nodded.

Sofi looked away. Was she ready to face the day that ripped her family apart?

**~X~**

"What do they keep in here?" Nick asked.

"It's animal crate storage," Stephen answered.

Helen glanced over her shoulder. "It's a great place for a lair," she commented.

Sticking as close to the others as she could, Sofi navigated her way through the storage units behind the zoo. There were several derelict buildings here, all of them containing open spaces and hidden rooms. The dog handlers maintained a firm grasp on their search dogs, but they didn't seem to be detecting any high frequencies or creature incursions.

The oscilloscope, on the other hand, was beeping like crazy.

"Whatever is making that noise is right on top of us," said Nick.

Stephen nodded. "The dogs should be going crazy!" he said.

"Then why aren't they?" Sofi wondered.

"Come on," said Nick, patting her on the back. He led her into a nearby building, its doors creaking as they were opened.

A high-pitched squeal echoed from the back of the room, and Sofi looked up in bewilderment. The dogs had suddenly started scratching and barking. Creeping closer, but stopping just beside Ryan, Sofi peered over a nearby crate and gasped.

"Uh, Professor," Sofi called over her shoulder. "You're going to want to see this."

Looking up, Sofi met Nick's gaze and he came to investigate. In a single crate, in the middle of the room, were not one, not two, not three or four, but  _five_  infants. All squealing and scrambling over themselves.

"My God," Nick breathed. "It's given birth."

"Oh, cute," Connor said, sarcastically.

"There are three bodies back here," Stephen called.

"She's storing them to feed her young," said Helen.

Sofi forced a grimace and turned away from the scene. Normally she was all for creature protection, but this creature was causing her such anxiety that she couldn't wait to be away from them.

"You okay?" Ryan asked, his voice low and directed at Sofi.

She lifted her gaze and smiled, weakly. Was she okay? She wasn't sure anymore.

"We've got company!" Connor suddenly yelled as the oscilloscope in his hand beeped rapidly. The noise was followed by a dull thudding noise from the roof as if something was bouncing back and forth in rapid succession.

Ryan and his men turned their rifles skyward, looking for an opening to take a shot. But there was nothing to shoot at.

"Where the hell is it?" Ryan asked. He turned in a full 360 circle, expertly managing to put Sofi behind him, and using his own body as a shield to protect her from any possible attacks.

While Sofi didn't want him to get hurt, she also didn't argue with being protected. She had got lucky with just a scratch last time, a second-round may have proved fatal.

The oscilloscope continued to beep, an indication that the creature hadn't left.

A snarl caused Sofi to look around. The creature clung to the wall behind her, its face inches away from -

"SHAWN!" Sofi managed to yell, but it was too late. The creature lunged and sank its claws into her friend, its jaws snapping at his neck and throat. Killing him instantly.

Shawn barely had time to scream.

Sofi muffled a cry with her hand, tears in her eyes. Her friend was dead.

_**BANG!** _

Jacobs had fired at a moving target. His bullet embedded in the rafter's of the building, but it did nothing to deter the creature. It pushed off of the wall, his claws outstretched and aiming for Jacobs.

"NO!" Sofi yelled.

As if on cue, the creature leapt over Jacobs and turned its attention to Sofi. Her eyes widened as it stood, hunched, a mere few inches from her. Its jaws snapped together and a low maniacal hissing escaped it. It cocked its head to the side and inched forward.

It didn't seem to care if it were within firing range. Its attention was solely on Sofi and hers on it.

_"Run, Sofi! Run!"_

Sofi gasped as she wrenched herself out of the memory that had once plagued her nightmares. She hadn't seen it for years, but it still affected her to this day. Disrupting her sleep. Why did this creature affect her so much? Had it been the one to kill her brother?

"Nick!"

Stephen's voice tore the creature's attention away from Sofi. It turned, snarled, and took off, out the door.

Sofi took a ragged breath and stumbled backwards. Jayden appeared beside her, his arm winding around her waist and supporting her against him.

"What happened?" Jayden asked. "Why did that thing seem interested in you?"

"I don't know," Sofi answered, shaking her head. "But... I think..." she trailed off, unable to comprehend what her head was telling her. It couldn't be, could it? Was it possible that this creature had killed her mother and brother?

"You think what, Sof?" Jayden asked.

Sofi swallowed and lifted her gaze to meet his. "I think I just found the monster that killed my brother," she whispered.

**~X~**

Later that evening, after stopping by Home Office to check in with her father, Sofi headed home and was sitting on her sofa with Toby and Figaro, a file in her lap when the door shook as someone pounded against it.

Toby barked and Sofi shushed him as she petted him behind the ear.

"It's open," Sofi called. She was unable to move due to both Toby and Figaro laying across her lap.

The door slid open and Ryan stepped inside. "You should really consider locking this if you're going to be here alone," he said.

Sofi smiled and rolled her eyes. "If I did that then I would have to get up to let you in," she said.

"That's just lazy," Ryan teased.

Sofi laughed. "Yeah, but I would also have to disturb these two," she nodded at Toby and Figaro. "They very high maintenance, you know."

"Yeah, looks like it, too," Ryan said, nodding at Figaro as she flopped over onto her back, exposing her belly to scratches.

Sofi responded and Figaro purred contently. She then rolled back onto her feet, jumped over the back of the sofa, and wandered off upstairs.

"What do I owe the visit?" Sofi asked, looking up at Ryan. She motioned for Toby to get down off the sofa and twisted around so that her feet were no longer up, either. "I can tell this isn't a social call."

Ryan shook his head and sat beside her. He looked down at Sofi as she wedged herself between him and the back of the sofa, her head falling back and rested on his shoulder. "I thought I'd come to see how you were doing," he said. "You looked pretty shook up today."

Sofi took a deep breath and stared at the file in her lap. "When I told you that my mother and brother had died," she said. "I didn't tell you the whole story."

Ryan tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "You don't have to tell me anything," he said. "I just need to know you're okay."

"Telling someone will help me be okay," said Sofi. "Eleven years ago, when I was only eight. My parents had taken me and my brother camping in the Forest of Dean. I didn't like it. I mean, I love being outdoors, but something didn't feel right this day, and I just wanted to go home. My father had tasked Abel with getting more wood for the fire, and he had told him to take me along, too. Make a game out of it, he had said. Now, most twelve-year-olds don't want to be hanging around with their eight-year-old sister, but Abel didn't care. He took me everywhere."

"Sounds like he loved you."

Sofi nodded, almost automatically. "We didn't go far from the campsite," she continued. "But I still couldn't shake the uneasy feeling. I felt like I was being watched. I told Abel, and he told me to stick close, that he wouldn't let anybody or anything hurt me. I didn't think he meant it literally."

Tears appeared in Sofi's eyes and voice started to break. Ryan wrapped his arm around her, squeezing her tightly.

"Next thing I know, something burst out of the trees."

Sofi gasped and her heart rate accelerated. She took a shuddering breath.

"I remember screaming, and then there was running, and Abel was shouting -  _'Run, Sofi! Run!'_ \- then my parents were there. I run straight to my dad. I was crying and shaking. I was terrified. I didn't know what was going on, and just kept screaming -  _'you have to help, Abel!'_  -"

Sofi shook and reached up to wipe the tears that spilt down her cheeks. Her hands clutched at the file in her hands.

"I don't remember much after that," said Sofi. "One minute my brother and I were collecting firewood, and the next he and my mother were gone. The only thing that remained of them were pools of blood. My dad said that I shut down after that. I didn't speak for months. I had nightmares and night terrors. I'd wake up in the middle of the night, screaming. It's why I don't sleep even now, I'm afraid of what I'll see."

Ryan pressed a kiss to the top of Sofi's head. "What's this?" he asked, pointing at the file.

"It's the official report of what happened that day," Sofi explained. "My dad managed to get a copy a few months later. There's not much in here. It's got my dad's witness statement and a few notes from officers that searched for my mother and brother's bodies. They never did find anything."

"You've read it?" Ryan asked.

Sofi nodded.

Taking the file, Ryan tossed it onto the coffee table and then turned to pull Sofi closer. He held her, tightly. Squeezing her tight enough to make her feel safe. She wasn't crying as he expected, but she was shaking.

He didn't say anything. He couldn't. There was nothing he could say that would make this situation any better. The only thing he could do was hold her, and be there for her when she needed him.

Even if that meant staying all night.

**~X~**

The scene at the Forest of Dean the next morning was manic.

Nick had received the express permission of Lester to lead an excursion into the Permian anomaly in order to use the Predator offspring to find the Future anomaly, this expedition was a lot different to the one that they had undergone a few months back.

It was different in terms of that this expedition wasn't for just research purposes, that and Sofi was not able to go this time. This excursion was simply to return the Predator offspring to their time and monitor the threats that could possibly come through again after.

Which was why Captain Ryan was going.

"I have a really bad feeling about this," said Sofi. She was sitting cross-legged in the boot of Ryan's SUV. Since spending the night at her place the previous evening, they had arrived at the scene together. Something that didn't go amiss by Jayden.

"It'll be fine," Ryan said, reassuringly.

"You can't promise that."

Ryan sighed and adjusted his weapons vest. "What happened to being optimistic?" he asked, pulling her to the edge of his car by her hips and resting his forehead against hers.

Sofi rolled her eyes, but she couldn't stop the smile that came to her lips.

"But you're right, it may not all be fine," said Ryan. "But you agree that we have to do this. Leaving these creatures here isn't good for anyone, and we're only going to have to kill them."

"I hate it when people throw my logic back at me," Sofi whined.

Ryan chuckled and kissed her head. "I'm leaving Graham in charge until I get back," he said, "and I've asked Jayden to shadow you until then, too."

"You think that's a good idea?" Sofi asked. "You know Jayden can't say no to me."

"Trust me, he wasn't my first choice," Ryan said. "But Jacobs is coming through the anomaly."

"Wait, what?"

Ryan shook his head. "Again, he wasn't my first choice," he explained. "But his father requested it."

"You're the Captain, can't you disregard the suggestion?"

"Normally, yes, but there are those higher up than me that agree," said Ryan.

Sofi glanced over to where the others had gathered. She spotted Jacobs nearby with Jayden, they were both still reeling from Shawn's death yesterday at the hands of the Predator, and Sofi couldn't blame them. She, too, was grieving, but she was trying her hardest to not give in by focusing more on the task at hand.

"I still don't like this," said Sofi, shaking her head. She turned back to Ryan. "What if another predator comes through the future anomaly? Or what if a creature from the Permian finds your campsite? You can't kill the ones from the past, and the ones from the future are too damn fast to catch!"

Ryan cupped Sofi's face in his hands and run his fingers along her cheeks. "Hey, calm down, it's okay," he soothed.

Sofi closed her eyes with a sigh. "Sorry, I'm just... I'm just scared..." she said. "I don't want anything to happen to you. To any of you! Now that I am sure it was this creature that killed my brother, I don't want it to kill anyone else that I care about. It's already taken so much from me."

"I'm coming back, Sof."

Sofi met his gaze and then surged forward, pressing her lips against his. At this moment, she didn't care that they hadn't told the rest of the team that they were in a relationship, and she also didn't care who was watching.

All she did care about right now was Ryan.

**~X~**

No matter how much she had protested, Sofi still couldn't get Nick or Ryan to reconsider staying. The anomaly pulsed with energy as they all stepped through, taking the baby predators with them. Claudia, who had just that second admitted her true feelings to Nick, trembled as she stood beside Sofi.

"Ryan promised me that he would be back," said Sofi, turning to the older woman. "And he brought Nick back last time. I didn't want him to go, just like you, I had a bad feeling about all this, but I trust him. I trust that they both will come back."

Claudia smiled at the youngester and nodded. "You're a smart girl, Sofi, don't let anyone tell you any different," she said.

"I don't intend to," said Sofi. She spotted her father arriving over Claudia's shoulder. The look on his face as he got out of the car was one that made Sofi's stomach drop. She turned to Claudia and forced a smile. "Excuse me."

Claudia nodded and watched as Sofi walked away.

Sofi approached her father. "What?" she asked. "What's wrong?"

"The creature's autopsy results," Christopher said, holding up a folder. He handed it to his daughter, just as Connor, Stephen, and Abby wandered over. The trio looked just as nervous as Sofi felt.

"What's it say?" Stephen asked.

Christopher shook his head. "It's not good," he said.

"Sofi?" Abby asked, staring at the youngester.

Sofi bit her lip as she read through the file in her hands. Her eyes widening as she reached the end. "But..." she stammered, looking up at her father. "That's not possible!"

"That's what I thought until I examined the creature myself," said Christopher. "It's true, Sofi. I wish it wasn't."

Stephen, Connor and Abby shared a look.

"What's true?" Stephen asked, growing impatient.

"The creatures autopsy proves, beyond any doubt, that it is definitely a male," said Sofi, handing over the file.

Stephen took it and read the information for himself.

"But it nurtured its young," said Abby.

"Maybe in this species that's a job for the boys?" Connor suggested.

"If we're wrong," said Sofi, shaking her head. "Then that means there is a very pissed off mother out there somewhere."

Stephen looked up from the file and met Sofi's gaze. This was not good.

**~X~**

The anomaly pulsated as three figures stepped back through. One of them was slouched over, their arm wrapped around the shoulders of another.

Sofi's eyes widened as the trio stepped through and she realised that the one that looked injured was in fact, Ryan. She gasped and shot forward, kneeling beside him as Nick lowered him carefully onto the ground.

"What happened?" Sofi asked, shrugging off her jacket and pressing it to the open wound on Ryan's side.

"He was attacked by the future predator," said Nick. "I thought that thing was dead at the Home Office."

"There was another one," said Abby, rushing in. She knelt opposite Sofi and helped apply pressure to Ryan's wounds. There were medics on standby, and they were all running around gathering instruments and stretchers in order to help their Captain.

Graham was shouting at them to hurry up, but Sofi tuned him out as she stared down at Ryan's blood-splattered face. He was in an out of consciousness, his eyes rolling in the back of his head.

"Hey, if you can hear me, stay with me, alright?" Sofi said, softly. "You promised me you'd come back. Don't leave me now."

Sofi looked down as she felt a slight pressure on her hand. Ryan was squeezing as tightly as he could, which wasn't much given how much strength he was losing. But, Sofi smiled nonetheless and brushed her lips against his. She was then shuffled aside by a medic.

Jayden helped Sofi to her feet, cradling her as the medic's rushed Ryan off to a nearby ambulance. They didn't hesitate or wait for anyone and were off as soon as the doors closed. The blue lights flashing and siren wailing as they fled the Forest of Dean.

Graham placed a hand on Sofi's shoulder. "You stay here," he said. "I'll follow behind."

"I'll be there as soon as I can," said Sofi.

Graham nodded and headed for his car.

Sofi swallowed and turned to Jayden. He wrapped his arms around her and squeezed. The two stayed together for a few seconds before turning to Nick.

"Where are the others?" Jayden asked. "Jacobs, Garrett, and Johnson?"

Nick shook his head. "They're all dead," he answered, grimly.

"What?" Sofi squeaked. Her heart broke as she processed Nick's words. Jacob was dead? Just like Shawn. Just like Abel. This creature had taken more of her friends, and, if things took a turn for the worst at the hospital, it could take Ryan from her, too.

Jayden squeezed Sofi again. It was tighter this time, and she remembered that she hadn't been the only person to lose a friend.

"Whatever happens, nobody goes back through," Nick said. He stared sadly at Sofi, regret in his eyes.

"Well, sorry to break your new rule so soon, Nick, but, I'm not staying," Helen announced, walking away from the anomaly and her husband.

"Then what did you come back through for then?" Nick asked, annoyed.

"Oh, you know," Helen said smirking. She looked around at those present before her gaze came to rest on Stephen. "Just some unfinished business."

The silence that filled the clearing was deafening. It didn't take a genius to figure out exactly what Helen was getting at.

"You see, Nick, it was just one of those things," Helen smiled wryly. "I was lonely, and you didn't seem to care about me, and Stephen was so... sweet and attentive."

"Shut up, Helen," Stephen said, shaking his head.

Helen laughed. "Oh, you mean you never told him?" she asked. It was obvious that she was playing dumb. She may have been a good liar, and her poker face was usually spot on, but this time she knew exactly what she was doing.

"What an extremely awkward moment," Lester said. His comment was unnecessary, and Sofi couldn't help but feel annoyed at him for it.

"I don't want to be on my own anymore," Helen continued. She turned back to Stephen. "You once said that you'd do anything for me if I gave you the chance. Well, here it is. Come with me."

Stephen stared at her. The look of betrayal on Nick's face was enough to cause his heart to sink into his stomach. He had never meant for Nick to find out about his affair with Helen, and when Helen had disappeared he thought he was in the clear.

"Don't do this," Stephen pleaded.

"I mean, falling for one of your students is never a good idea," Helen said, biting her lip slowly. "But sometimes these things just happen, you know?"

Nick shook with contained betrayal, fury, and rage. He glared up at Stephen, his eyes blazing. "How could you keep that from me for so many years?" he seethed.

"There was no point in saying anything," Stephen defended. "It was a long time ago, in the past."

"The past has a habit of coming back these days, doesn't it?" Helen said, snidely.

Sofi glared at the woman she had once looked up too. How could she take pride in the nightmare that she was causing?

Cutter walked away from Stephen. He passed Sofi, and she reached out to him as he stopped behind her.

"Well?" Helen asked her attention back on Stephen. She had returned to the open anomaly, ready to pass back through into the Permian. "Are you coming?"

Stephen stared at Helen, and then around at the rest of his team. His eyes lingered on Cutter, who refused to look at him, and then passed over to Sofi, Connor, and Abby. The latter, just like Cutter, refused to meet his gaze, while the two former continued to stare at him. He could see confusion in Connor's eyes, and judgement in Sofi's.

He knew what he had to do, and it was going to be an easy decision.

"You know what I've forgotten, Helen?" Stephen asked, walking towards her. "Sometimes you can be a real bitch."

Helen smirked up at him. But Stephen merely shook his head and turned his back. He knew where he was needed, and it wasn't in the past with an old flame.

Rejected, Helen squared her shoulders and walked through the anomaly back into the Permian. She wasn't expecting a rejection from Stephen, but at least her final confrontation with the team had caused enough damage for her to play with later if the time arose.

Sofi stared at the anomaly for a second longer and then turned to Jayden. She was about to ask him to drive her to the hospital when Nick piped up from behind. He was looking around the area with a look of confusion.

"Where's Claudia?" Nick asked.

Sofi looked around at her mentor. Who was Claudia?

"Claudia?" Lester repeated.

"Where's Claudia Brown?" Nick asked again.

"I don't know anyone of that name," Lester shrugged.

"No, come on, where is she?" Nick demanded, his voice rising. He was not up for playing games right now. He'd had enough of Helen's mind games.

Sofi shared a look with Jayden and then turned to Nick. "Nick, what are you talking about?" she asked. "Who's Claudia Brown?"

"Yeah, we don't know her," Connor agreed.

"Look, you've been working with her every day for months, so don't tell me you don't know who she is!" Nick shouted.

The team shared a unanimous confused look.

"No idea," Lester said, shaking his head. "Sorry."

Furious, Nick stormed over to Lester and grabbed him by the lapels of his business suit. All around them, special forces officers were raising their guns and aiming them directly at Nick.

"No, no!" Sofi said, getting between them. "Don't shoot him!"

"Put them down!" Jayden argued.

"Look, where is she?" Nick asked. He shook Lester in his frustration.

Connor shook his head. "Cutter, we don't know her," he said, desperately.

"No one knows her!" Abby intervened.

Nick let go of Lester and looked wildly around at the rest of the team. They were all staring at him with fear, confusion and uncertainty in their eyes. "This isn't right," he muttered. "Something's happened, something's changed. We've done something." He took a deep breath and looked around at the anomaly. "Something that we have done has changed the past and she's not here anymore!"

Sofi turned away from the soldiers that had been prepared to shoot Nick and glanced at the anomaly behind the Professor. It had started to pulsate like it did when it was about to close.

Noticing Sofi's gaze was fixed on something behind him, Nick turned and the colour drained from his face. "Oh god," he said, looking back at the team. "Oh, my God!"

**End of Season One.**


	7. Jurassic Mall

**Welcome to Season 2.**

* * *

Sofi watched as Nick spun back to face the anomaly. "Nick," she called, tentatively, fearful of what his next actions would be. The fear and anxiety rising in his body was radiating out through his posture, and she turned to Jayden in anticipation.

"I got him," Jayden said quietly. He lurched forward, at the same time as Stephen, and latched onto Cutter's arm, dragging the professor away from the closing anomaly. Cutter struggled, but it was in vain.

"I have to go!" Nick yelled. "I have to make this right!"

"Don't be stupid!" Stephen argued. "You'll be marooned there!"

The anomaly blinked out of existence, and Nick went limp in Stephen and Jayden's arms. Both men released him, and Nick knelt dumbfounded on the forest floor.

"Nick?" Sofi asked again. She approached cautiously and knelt beside him, placing a soft hand on his shoulder.

Nick blinked and looked up at her. She looked exactly the same to her. "Something's happened," he said softly. "During that last trip, something changed. The world evolved differently."

Sofi furrowed her brow, trying to make sense of what Nick was telling her. Normally she had no problems following his train of thought, but now she couldn't make heads or tails.

"I think we're done here, aren't we?" Lester asked. He was in the process of hanging up his phone when he had interrupted. He turned his back and began to walk away, a notion that stirred Cutter from his stupor.

Nick shook his head as he stood and raced after Lester. "No, no, Claudia Brown," he said. It was clear that he was determined to get them to remember. "She's been with us since the beginning. She was in charge of the running of the day-to-day anomaly operation."

"No, that's Leek," Lester corrected. "Oliver Leek. You can't have forgotten him, you saw him at the ARC this morning."

"The what?" Nick asked, blinking.

"The ARC," Sofi answered. "The Anomaly Reseach Centre."

"No, no, you mean the Home Office," said Nick, shaking his head.

Sofi shared a look with Abby.

"No, we moved from that place ages ago," Abby said, facing Cutter again.

Nick swallowed. He had seen the look passed between both Abby and Sofi, and couldn't understand why they didn't believe him. He turned away from Lester, trying to understand what was happening, and where he was.

"Is he having a nervous breakdown?" Lester asked, carelessly. "Only, I've got a meeting to go to, so if someone could call an ambulance."

"He's fine," Abby said.

Lester shrugged. "You're getting a little old for imaginary friends, Professor," he mocked as he reached his car. He got into and drove away.

Stephen, Abby, and Connor stared for a second longer at Nick. He had fallen once again to his knees and was staring at the site where the Anomaly had been.

"Let's get back to the ARC," said Stephen. "Maybe familiar surroundings will help."

"I have to get to the hospital," Sofi said. "Check on Ryan."

Stephen nodded and climbed into the driver's seat of Cutter's truck. Connor and Abby clambered into the back, and Nick steeled himself long enough to climb into the passenger seat. He paused and looked to Sofi out of the window, she was staring at him with a look of compassion and fear.

"I'm not crazy, Sof," Nick said.

"I'm going to figure out what's going on, Professor," Sofi said. "Promise."

Nick nodded as Stephen pulled away, leaving Sofi behind. He had faith in Sofi and was sure that she would find an answer to his dilemma.

**~X~**

The hospital was busy.

Not that that was much of a surprise.

Sofi expected a hospital to be busy.

After explaining who she and Jayden was, and why they were there to the woman at the front desk, Sofi made her way through the crowded halls towards the operating theatres where she found Graham pacing the corridor.

"What's happening?" Sofi asked, reaching the Lieutenant.

"They took him into surgery as soon as he arrived," Graham answered. "It's going to be another couple of hours wait. It's bad, Sof."

Sofi bit her lower lip and wrapped her arms around herself. She knew that the situation was a bad one, but hearing someone else say it dashed her hopes of her being wrong.

Jayden pulled Sofi to him and hugged her, as Graham placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Have you been able to get much out of the nurses on call?" Sofi asked.

"I know everything they know," said Graham. He checked his watch. "He's been in there nearly an hour, and they're still trying to stop the bleeding. If they can do that, and find the source then there is a chance that he'll pull through."

"But there's a high chance he could fall into a coma," said Sofi, nodding. She already knew the complications. From what she could remember, which was ironic given she had an eidetic memory, Ryan's jugular vein had been nicked and was the reason for him bleeding out.

"He's already lost a lot of blood," Graham said, nodding.

Sofi took a deep, shuddering breath. The chances of Ryan pulling through were low,  _really_  low. But she had to have faith that he would. He'd managed to get through the Permian and hold on until now. He could hold on a little longer, right?

_Come on, Ryan,_  Sofi thought, silently.

"Come back to me."

**~X~**

Stephen looked up as the engine of a car filled the vacant lot of the Shopping Mall. He cocked his head to the side as Sofi's green Mustang pulled into the empty space beside the truck and the teenager and Jayden Parker jumped out.

"What are you doing here?" Stephen asked.

Sofi frowned. "I got a call from Leek saying there was an anomaly open here," she said.

"Yeah. But I thought you'd rather be at the hospital?"

"Ryan's still in surgery," Sofi said. "He's going to be for a few hours. There's nothing I can do for him there."

"But don't you want to be there for any new information?" Abby asked.

"Graham said he would keep us updated," Jayden answered. "As Sofi said, there's nothing we can do at the hospital. May as well keep ourselves busy in the meantime."

Sofi nodded. "Do we know what we're facing?" she asked.

"Not yet," Stephen answered.

"What are we using?" Jayden asked Abby. He reached into the back of the truck and removed a smaller tranq gun from one of the many boxes in the bed.

"Ketamine," said Abby. "But I've had to guess the dosage."

Connor looked around at them all. Save for Sofi, everyone had a form of protection. "Where's my gun?" he asked.

Stephen gave him a look.

"Abby's got one," Connor whined.

"She knows how to use it," said Stephen, dismissively.

"Just how many animals have you tranquillised?" Abby asked, raising her eyebrows at her friend.

Connor scoffed. "I've played darts," he defended. "Sometimes, I think you don't trust me with firearms."

"Don't know what gives you that idea," Jayden smirked.

As the others discussed the situation at hand, and Connor whined about not having a gun, Sofi approached Nick as he stood in front of the shopping mall doors. He didn't say anything at first and then turned to look at her. He looked weary - wearier than she was used too.

"How's Ryan?" Nick asked.

Sofi shrugged. "It's not looking good," she answered, her voice breaking. "He's lost a lot of blood, and according to paramedics he was in and out of consciousness in the ambulance. They've had to revive him twice already."

Tears slipped down her cheeks, and Sofi hastily wiped them away.

Nick placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed. "He's strong, Sofi," he said. "If they've managed to bring him back twice then he's still fighting. So you have to keep fighting too, alright?"

"Alright," Sofi nodded.

"Good girl," Nick gave her a one-armed hug and then turned to the others as they approached.

"Now what?" Stephen asked, looking at Nick.

Nick turned his head. "We go in," he said, simply.

**~X~**

With Nick in the lead, the team strode through the entrance of the shopping mall, stopping only at the closed shutters ahead of them. They rattled noisily, evoking a reaction from Abby, Stephen, and Jayden as the trio raised their guns.

The shutters rattled again and then started to rise.

Sofi held her breath as they reached the top, and released it when she saw an older man in an ugly beige suit standing behind them. He gave a start and raised his hands at the guns aimed at him.

"Who are you?" Nick asked.

"Duty manager," the man answered.

"Tell us what happened," Stephen demanded. Sofi frowned at him.

"We got an emergency call from one of our operatives," the man explained. "We haven't been able to raise him since."

"What did he say?" Abby asked.

The man shook his head. "He didn't really say anything, he just sort of... screamed."

Sofi stepped towards him. "Did you see anything when you were in there?" she asked.

The man shook his head.

Sofi nodded and turned to Nick. "Your call," she said.

"Right," said Nick, turning to the man. "I want you to close these shutters behind us, and only open them when I tell you it's safe. Because, whatever happens, it mustn't get out."

"What mustn't get out?" the man asked.

Sofi shrugged. "That's the million-dollar question," she said. "Just do as he says. Trust me, less complicated."

The man nodded and stepped beyond the shutters as the team stepped inside. He pressed the close button beside the shutters, and they started to close. "Wait a minute," he called. "Who are you, people?"

The shutters closed before he got an answer.

Having not stuck around to see the man leave, Stephen and Nick walked ahead of the others, searching every inch of the level they were on for signs of an incursion.

"Are you okay?" Stephen asked Nick.

Sofi and Abby shared a look. They knew that there was a lot of tension at the moment between the two, given what Helen had revealed in the Forest of Dean, but was now the right time to address it?

"About what?" Nick asked.

"You can't ignore what happened/"

"What, you mean the fact that you slept with my wife?" Cutter snapped.

Sofi slowed to a stop, the others doing the same as Nick turned quickly to Stephen. He was at least a foot smaller than the younger bloke, but that didn't stop him from sizing Stephen up.

"Stephen, if you're looking for closure then I'm a little busy," Nick said.

"I don't blame you for being angry," Stephen said, shaking his head.

Keeping his cool, Nick clenched his hands as he replied. "Look, Helen never cared about any of us," he said. "She's mad."

"Mad?" Stephen repeated.

"She went through an anomaly for eight years, made everyone who knew and loved her think she was dead - does that strike you well-balanced?" Nick asked. "Just forget it. I'm finished with the past. I just don't know whether it's finished with me."

Connor sniggered to himself and turned to see the others offering him curious looks. "Just thinking - don't you hate it when people bring their personal lives to work with them?" he asked.

"It's not funny, Connor," Sofi said, nudging her way past him. "To some people, this work is the  _reason_  they have personal lives."

Jayden knocked Connor against the side of the head and followed quickly after Sofi. Abby on his tail.

Connor sighed, rubbed the side of his head, and hurried along in their wake.

**~X~**

Finally, and without incident, they reached the security room. Connor claimed the only chair in front of the cameras and started to tinker away, searching for any signs of what they were dealing with.

"Can you get any closer?" Nick asked.

Connor tapped a few keys and one camera, on the third floor, spun around, zooming in on the level beneath it.

"What's that?" Jayden asked, pointing at a faint blur in the corner of the fourth screen. It whipped around and blasted past the third-floor camera.

"Back it up," said Sofi.

Connor nodded and reversed the footage. The blur reappeared on the screen and Connor hit pause.

"Cretaceous era Theropod dinosaur," Nick breathed, his eyes wide in amazement. "Genuine article."

"Raptor," Connor grinned. "I always hoped we'd get one one day."

"Careful what you wish for," Sofi said.

"They look like the ones from Jurassic Park," Jayden said.

Sofi smiled, fondly, but shook her head. "What have I told you about fiction, Jayden?" she asked.

Jayden smiled.

"It's beautiful," Cutter said, his eyes still on the screens.

A second later the Raptor had launched itself from the third-floor platform and at the camera, ripping into the machine with its teeth and claws. The feed blurred and then disappeared.

A tense silence filled the security room as everyone turned to Nick.

"I said it was beautiful," Nick said. "I didn't say it was friendly."

Stephen shook his head and looked at Connor. "We need to find the anomaly," he said. "Where was the first security guard attacked."

"The bowling alley," Connor answered.

"Then that's where we start," said Nick. "Come on."

He left the room and the others followed him.

**~X~**

The indoor bowling alley consisted of twelve lanes of shiny laminate flooring, twelve automatic lines that returned the bowling balls from the baskets at the end of the hall, where the pins were set, and back up to the players. Benches and booths were situated in between each lane, and a small computer that recorded each players score stood just off the to the left.

"Ever bowled, Sof?" Jayden asked, inspecting a lime-green bowling ball. It had the symbol 'S' on the side, indicating that it was a small size.

"Course," Sofi answered. "Except, not many people like to play against me."

"Why? Do you cheat?"

The sides of Sofi's lips quirked upwards. "Not unless you define estimating the physics of bowling cheating," she said, shaking her head.

"Huh?"

"Yes, Jayden, she cheats," Abby said, interrupting.

Jayden gasped and pointed a finger at his best friend. "I'm never playing you in anything, ever again!" he said.

Sofi smiled and stuck out her tongue. "Where's Connor?" she asked, turning her attention back to Abby.

"Getting a slushie," Abby answered. "I'm going to go make sure he's paying for it. Cutter and Stephen have gone to find the anomaly. They wanted me to ask you and Jayden to search out here for any signs of an incursion."

"Got it, boss," Sofi said, saluting.

Abby chuckled and walked away.

Jayden watched as Abby left and then turned to Sofi. "Want to split up?" he asked.

"I call dibs on the arcade."

"No fair!" Jayden pouted. "Why do you get the arcade?"

Sofi laughed and waved Jayden away, towards the shoe racks, and made her way into the arcade. She took a deep breath to calm her breathing, but it also helped to keep the blood rushing into her ears, making it possible for her to hear better.

"Creepy," Sofi muttered, peering into the glass box of a claw machine. Inside were stuffed teddies, each one peering back at her with their black beady eyes. She shuddered and carried on, searching the floor for any scuff marks to indicate the Raptor had been through here.

_**CRASH!** _

_**BANG!** _

"Sofi!"

Abandoning her search of the arcade, Sofi raced back into the bowling alley and towards the doors. To the left, coming out from beneath the bowling tunnels, were Nick and Stephen, and Jayden had already disappeared from around the door at the back.

Following Stephen out into the hall, Sofi slowed to a halt as she spotted Connor on the floor with Abby and Jayden standing over him. He groaned and pressed a hand to his head.

"Oh, I hate that," Connor moaned.

"What?" Nick asked.

"Brain freeze," Connor replied. "From the slushie."

Sofi rolled her eyes. "Maybe if you had stuck with the group, instead of thinking about your stomach and wandered off, you wouldn't have a brain freeze," she said.

Connor pouted up at her.

"Don't give me that look," said Sofi, shaking her head. "We aren't here to mess around."

"You're mean," Connor grumbled.

"She's also right," said Stephen.

The shutter jolted again, causing an echo to ring around the room. Stephen and Jayden raised their guns, anticipating the Raptor breaking through, but it stopped as soon as it had started.

Connor breathed a sigh of relief and Sofi turned to Cutter. "If the Raptor is in the food court then it can get to the atrium," she said. "We need to double back and make sure it's still in the building."

Cutter nodded.

"We're going to need more firepower," said Stephen. "This is a  _Raptor._ "

"I'm well aware of what creature we're dealing with, Stephen," Nick said, flatly. "But I've already lost one friend because we disrupted nature once too often, and I don't intend to do it again."

"You're sure you're okay?" Stephen asked.

Nick turned to his oldest friend. "Under the circumstances, I'd say I was doing pretty well," he said.

"Huh, guys?" Jayden called from ahead. He had bypassed Nick and Stephen's arguing and headed down the hall to towards the atrium. He had stopped short of the corner, however, due to a hissing sound. It sounded like a snake, and he was deathly scared of snakes.

Cutter strained to listen. The only sound he could hear was the hissing. He turned and gestured to Abby. "Give me your gun," he said, lowly. "Stay here," he added to her, Sofi and Connor.

Sharing a look with both Stephen and Jayden, Cutter nodded and the trio stepped around the corner - guns raised and ready to fire.

"Whoa, Whoa! Don't shoot!" a male cleaner cried, holding his hands up in defence. He was sitting on top of a floor polisher. He shut the machine off quickly and looked around the group before him.

Nick sighed. "Abby, Connor, get this guy out of here," he ordered. He passed Abby back her gun and the two led the man away.

Sofi waited until they were a safe distance away and then turned back to Nick. "How many people are in here?" she asked. "That's four of the last count - the two security guards, the duty manager, and now the cleaner. How come there aren't more casualties?"

"I don't know," said Nick, shaking his head.

Stephen turned and held his phone out to Nick. "Lester wants to know what's going on," he said, releasing the device.

"We've got a confirmed anomaly, and one very angry raptor," Nick said, putting the phone to his ear.

" _I'll put an armed backup on standby and tell the owners there's been a security scare,_ " said Lester. " _They'll have to stay closed as long as it takes - Leek, has the concept of personal space ever been explained to you?_ "

Sofi snickered as she wandered away.

Jayden followed after her, leaving Stephen and Nick alone in the middle of the corridor. "Checking in with Graham?" he asked, noticing she had pulled her phone out.

"I don't know why I am bothering," said Sofi. "Ryan's not going to be out of surgery for a good few hours, and if this goes south, I'd like to think Graham would call me instead of text."

Jayden nodded.

Looking around at approaching footsteps, Sofi stowed her phone back in her pocket and smiled at Nick and Stephen. "What's the plan now?" she asked.

"We have to make sure that the Raptor's contained," Nick said. "Stephen and I are going to head back to the bowling alley, and I want you and Jayden to check the atrium. Remember, it can't get out."

Sofi nodded and headed off towards the main entrance with Jayden.

**~X~**

" _Head back to the bowling alley,_ " said Nick. " _We've got a problem._ "

Sofi hung up and turned to Jayden. "There's an issue in the bowling alley, Cutter wants us to head back," she said.

"Guess it beats hanging around here waiting for something to happen," said Jayden, motioning to the empty atrium. There wasn't a single thing out of place, and clearly, no sign that a Raptor had been through there.

"What were you expecting?" Sofi asked. "That the Raptor would be just sitting in the middle of the room, waiting for us?"

Jayden shrugged. "Would that be so bad?" he asked.

Sofi laughed and shook her head. "You know, I'm actually quite surprised," she said. "The Raptors are pack hunters. You rarely see one without the other, usually two or three to a group; but we've only seen one."

"You think there's more of them in here?"

"There could be," Sofi said, nodding.

"We've only got one confirmed sighting," said Jayden. "We'd have seen the other two by now, wouldn't we have?"

Sofi shrugged. "We've only been concentrating on the bowling alley," she said. "But there have been two recorded attacks." She stopped walking as her mind started to race. "The first attack was in the bowling alley, and the second was on the third floor. They're too far apart to be done by the same creature."

"So there are two attacks and one recorded predator," said Jayden.

Sofi nodded, taking out her phone. Before she even had a chance to redial his number, Nick was calling her.

"That's not good," Jayden murmured.

"Nick?" Sofi asked, nervously.

" _There is more than one Raptor,_ " Nick said. " _We have one unconscious in the bowling alley, but the other is still loose. We think it's heading towards the atrium. It's heading towards you, Sofi. You and Jayden have to get out of there!_ "

Suddenly the sound of an alarm echoed throughout the Mall.

"That's the security alarm," said Sofi, looking around. She turned back to Jayden. "You don't think it got out, do you?"

"Let's go find out," said Jayden. He rushed past her, heading towards the adjacent corridor.

" _Sofi, whatever you're thinking, don't go after it!_ "

"We're closer than you and Stephen," said Sofi. "Jayden and I'll lead it back to the bowling alley. Just be ready for us."

" _No, Sofi, it's too -_ " Nick cut off as Sofi skidded around the corner, dropping her phone in the process as she spotted the shutters at the end. They had been completely ripped from their hinges.

Jayden glanced around at Sofi and then ducked out into the car park. Sofi followed him, looking around for any disturbances. She spotted a trio of lads nearby, messing around on their bikes, and nudged Jayden towards them.

"Hey," Sofi called, wandering over. "Have you see an animal pass this way?"

"What kind of animal?" one of the lads asked. He didn't look to be much older than Sofi. "A dog? A polar bear?"

"Trust me, you'd know if you'd seen it," said Sofi.

The second boy grinned and leaned forward. "You know, I think I remember seeing something, yeah," he said. "How about I tell you all about it over drinks? My treat."

"I'd think twice about flirting, mate," said Jayden. "Her boyfriend is an army vet."

The boy blinked and stepped back, disappointed. With his advances rejected, he turned back to his third mate, cheering him on.

"What about you?" Jayden asked the first boy.

He shook his head. "Nah, sorry, not seen anything," he said.

Jayden nodded and took Sofi's arm, leading her away. They hadn't got more than five car spaces when the low hissing sounded. Sofi held her breath and Jayden's fingers tightened around her wrist.

Three cars down, a Raptor sprung into view. It's clawed feet scraping on the metal bonnets of the cars beneath him.

"We've got to lead it back inside," said Sofi. "But we're aren't going to be able to outrun it. That thing was built for speed."

"I got an idea," said Jayden, spying the two abandon bikes nearby. "Come on." He led her over to them and kicked his leg over the side, shuffling forward and making room for her behind him.

Sofi got on and clung to Jayden's waist. There was a reason she had a car and not a bike.

"Hold on!" Jayden said, revving the engine and speeding off. The raptor lunged and just missed the pair as they swerved around a white Volvo.

The Raptor hissed and snarled as it chased them around the underground garage, back through the destroyed shutters and up the escalator towards the lifts.

"Sofi, get ready!" Jayden yelled over the roar of the engine.

Sofi nodded and braced herself as Jayden tossed the bike out from under them. He grabbed her hand and pulled her into the lift doors, only for the raptor's head to get wedged between them as they closed.

"Not today!" Jayden said, curling his hand into a fist and striking the Raptor on the snout. It pulled back and the doors closed with a smack.

The lift started to rise.

"Call Cutter!" Jayden said.

"I lost my phone," said Sofi. "Where's yours?"

"In the car."

Sofi sighed and spotted Jayden's gun on his belt. "That hasn't been fired yet," she said. "Hopefully there is enough ketamine inside to keep it at bay. I mean, Nick and Stephen would've emptied two rounds into it already, maybe all it needs is one more?"

"I hope you're right," Jayden said. The lift soon came to a stop and the doors opened, leaving Jayden and Sofi out onto the third floor.

Sofi turned to Jayden and opened her mouth, but cut off as her eyes widened at the sight of the Raptor dragging itself over the side of the railing. "What in the world - ?" she squeaked.

Grabbing Sofi and putting her behind him, Jayden aimed the tranq gun at the Raptor and fired. The dark hit the creature in the flesh skin of its throat, causing it to hiss and snarl. The pair continued to back up, as the Raptor continued to advance - then... it collapsed.

Jayden let out a sigh of relief and Sofi pressed her forehead against his arm. "Good call," he said.

"Thanks," Sofi nodded.

"How do we get it to the bowling alley?"

Sofi looked around an noticed a Debenhams with its front window smashed through. "I do need new bedding," she said.

Jayden smirked and led her into the store.

**~X~**

Nick shook his head as he watched Sofi and Jayden drag the unconscious form of the male raptor into the room. While Connor hadn't changed much, Sofi had changed a lot. She wasn't anymore the 'serious-scientist-student' that he had invited out on the hoax hunt many months ago, she was more reckless now.

"You'd think Lester would approve a more stable delivery service, wouldn't you?" Sofi teased, letting go of the duvet's corner. She stumbled at the sudden loss of heavy merchandise and turned to Stephen. "You can help Jayden take it outback. My poor arms can't take much more strain."

"No pain no gain, Sof," Stephen teased.

Sofi exhaled deeply and blew her hair from her face as Jayden and Stephen dragged the male raptor out of sight. She turned to Abby and frowned as the only other female limped over. "What happened to you?" she asked.

"Connor shot me," Abby answered.

"Wait, what?" Sofi asked, looking wildly to her friend. "How? Why? When?"

"With a tranq dart, it was an accident, and earlier when we were escorting the cleaner out," said Connor.

"And you wonder why they don't trust you with a gun?" Sofi asked.

Connor pouted as Abby chuckled.

Sofi smiled and spotted Nick over their shoulders. "I'll meet you guys downstairs," she said.

Abby and Connor nodded and left, leaving Sofi to approach her Professor.

"You were reckless," Nick said the minute they were alone.

"No reckless than you were when you took on the Authroplurea back in Aldwych station," said Sofi.

"I did that to protect you, Stephen, and Abby," said Nick. "It's not the same thing."

"No?"

Nick shook his head.

"If Jayden and I hadn't have reacted when we did, we'd have a body count of five," said Sofi. "There were three kids in the underground garage when the Raptor got out. Jayden and I managed to divert its attention onto us and not them. I guess you could say I  _protected_  them."

Nick sighed. "What's going on, Sof?" he asked.

Sofi shook her head. "I don't know the answer to that yet, Nick," she said. "I said I would try and find out what happened in the Permian anomaly, but I didn't say it would be a rapid response. I need more time."

"How much time?"

"I don't know," said Sofi, shaking her head. "I don't even know where to start. The only thing we have is a possible missing person - a person that you're the only one who knows existed. I've never even heard of a Claudia Brown."

"She knew your father," said Nick. "The first time you met her, she recognised your last name. She called your father by his first and said that he was a great scientist within the Home Office."

Sofi cocked her head to the side. "My father?" she repeated.

Nick nodded. "Yeah, Christopher," he said.

"Nick, there has to be some kind of a mistake," said Sofi. "My father has never worked for the Home Office or the ARC. He's dead."

"What?"

Sofi nodded, her eyes trained on Nick. "He died a long time ago," she said.

"No, no, that's your mother and brother," said Nick, shaking his head. He couldn't believe what he was hearing, he didn't believe it.

"My dad died not long after my mother and brother," said Sofi. "Remember how I told you that he tried to protect me from the monster, or the Future Predator, as we now know it's called."

"When you were camping?"

Sofi nodded. "Yeah. My whole family was camping - me, my brother, and my parents - Abel and I went to get firewood and we were attacked. The Predator killed my brother and then my mother, and my father got injured when the Predator tried to get me. He died in hospital a week later."

Nick squeezed his eyes shut and braced himself against the pool table.

"Wait, if he died ten years ago, where did you grow up?" Nick asked.

"I was placed with an emergency foster family before being adopted by Kamilah Becker," said Sofi. "She already had a son, and she wanted a daughter. She couldn't carry girls' so she decided to adopt... that's where I came in."

Nick shook his head and run his hand aggressively through his hair. This was why Sofi's personality had shifted so drastically, she had been raised by a different family altogether, and rather than be raised as an only child, she had been raised with a new brother, someone who obviously brought out the rough-and-tough behaviour in her.

Staring at her friend, Sofi placed a hand on his shoulder. "I made a promise when I said I would get to the bottom of this," she said. "You're just going to have to be patient. Alright?"

Nick sighed and nodded. "Alright," he said. "Come on. Let's go prepare to take these Raptor's home."

**~X~**

Downstairs, Jayden rested against the wall behind Abby, his arms folded across his stomach as one foot was propped up against the wall to keep him balanced. He looked up as Sofi and Nick entered, frowning at the expression on Sofi's face. He pushed away from the wall and approached her. "Everything okay?" he asked in a low voice.

"I don't know," Sofi shrugged. She shook her head, ending the conversation before it had even begun and turned back to the room. Stephen was checking his gun and the tranq dosages, Connor was surveying the anomaly with his compass, and Abby was examining in the Raptor's bone structure.

"What can you feel?" Nick asked the former zoo-keeper.

"It's strange," Abby said, pressing her fingers over the Raptor's leg and hip. "It's skeleton feels more like a bird's wing than anything reptilian."

Nick smiled knowingly and nodded.

"Raptor does mean 'bird of prey'," said Sofi, wandering over. "And palaeontologists do say that Dinosaurs evolved into birds."

"Do you think they remember?" Jayden asked. He looked from both Abby to Sofi and sighed. "My grandmother used to live on a farm, and when I was a kid I would help her feed the animals. One weekend, I got tasked with feeding the chickens and while I was climbing over the fence, a rat ran across the pen. I had never seen a more frenzied response - the chickens literally tore that poor animal apart. Within seconds there was nothing left by bone."

Abby and Sofi giggled.

"It's not funny!" Jayden protested. "I got out as fast as I could and refused to go back in. Pretty sure I was traumatised for a good few months."

Sofi smiled and looked back at the Raptor. Its chest rose and fell as it continued to sleep. "Well, this Raptor would do to you what the chicken did to the rat," she said.

Jayden shuddered.

"So, guys, let me get this straight," said Connor, turning away from the anomaly and facing the team. "All we have to do is drag two of the angriest creatures in the known universe through a hole in time, back into an ancient world where we don't know what's waiting on the other side for us."

"When you put it like that, it sounds so easy," said Stephen, sarcastically.

"I'm going to do this on my own," Nick said.

"We'll help..." Abby said. "Right?" she looked to Sofi.

Sofi nodded. "Yeah, course," she said. "We're a team, right?"

Jayden nodded.

"Who's 'we'?" Connor asked, earning dark looks from both females. He paused and then swallowed. "I didn't say I wouldn't. I just prefer if I could do my on volunteering. Thank you," he added, quickly.

"Look, I'm going to do this on my own," Nick repeated, a little more insistently. "I don't want any arguments. Connor," he motioned for him to join him at the anomaly.

Sofi frowned and shared a look with Abby. Why was Nick so insistent on taking the Raptors back through on his - oh!

"How long have I got?" Nick asked once he and Connor were in front of the anomaly.

"Uh... I don't know," Connor answered, consulting the compass. "You know, it's so hard to say. Ninety per cent of the anomalies area gone within hours, this one's been here most of the night already."

Nick stared at the flickering prism and then patted Connor's shoulders. "Come with me," he said, leading him from the room.

The silence left behind was deafening.

"He's not coming back, is he?" Jayden asked.

"He's been planning this since the Permian Anomaly closed this afternoon," said Sofi. "I knew there was something wrong, I could feel it. I just wish I could've worked it out sooner."

Stephen shook his head. "We've been a little busy, Sof," he said. "You haven't had time to think of more than one thing at a time, today. Don't worry, I'll make sure he comes back."

"You're going through with him?" Jayden asked. "How are you going to convince him to let you do that?"

"Because I'm not going through with him," said Stephen. "I'm going through ahead of him." He stood and headed for the anomaly.

Sofi shot to her feet. "Hold on, Stephen!" she said. "You can't go in there. What happens if it closes before Nick goes through? What if he changes his mind and just pushes the Raptors through on the gurney? What are we supposed to say when he comes back down?"

"Think of something," said Stephen. "Make it good." He tapped her cheek and passed through the anomaly, causing it to shimmer and whine as he disappeared.

Sofi stood, dumbfounded, and then turned to the others. "This is just great," she grumbled.

"What's our story?" Jayden asked.

Abby shook her head and looked back at the anomaly. "That's Sofi's department," she said.

"What? No, mine is creature profiling," said Sofi, shaking her head. "Mine is not lying to my Professor about the sudden disappearance of his friend."

"You're smart enough to think on the spot," said Abby. "You'll do fine."

Sofi whined and looked back at the anomaly. "If he makes it back, I'm going to kill him!" she said.

"Kill who?" asked Nick as he returned with Connor. "Where's Stephen?"

Jayden and Abby glanced at Sofi.

Sofi swallowed. "He, uh, he... just went to get more ketamine from the car," she said, her hands shaking. "You know, just in case."

Nick stared at Sofi for a second longer and then around at Abby and Jayden. They each nodded in confirmation. "Okay," he said. "Hopefully we won't be needing it."

Sofi took a deep breath and turned away. She was  _definitely_  going to kill Stephen.

**~X~**

Later that evening, after everything had calmed down - the raptors had been returned through the anomaly, and it itself had closed - Sofi sat with Nick and Connor inside the electronics department. She frowned as she stared at the shelves of radios before her, listening to Nick and Connor ramble on about interference.

"You think that the radio can detect the anomalies?" Sofi asked, still confused.

"The magnetic field must disrupt the energy waves picked up by the radio stations," said Connor. "If we can tune into that channel then we can find the anomalies before any incursions."

"So, we could stop the creatures before they attack anyone," said Sofi, grinning.

"Exactly!" Nick nodded. "We'll know when and where the anomalies open before they even breach our world."

Sofi and Connor shared a smile.

_**Buzz. Buzz.** _

Turning away, Sofi removed her phone from her pocket and saw a text from Graham. She opened it and gasped, causing Nick to turn in her direction.

"What is it?" Nick asked.

"Please don't tell me there is another anomaly," said Connor. "I'm practically dead on my feet."

Sofi shook her head. "It's Ryan, he's out of surgery," she said, looking back at her friends. "I'm going to have to go. Meet you at the ARC in the morning."

Nick nodded and Sofi took off towards the exit, stealing Jayden from Stephen and Abby as she passed.

The drive to the hospital was silent. Anticipation filled the air and it could be cut with a butter knife. Jayden was driving, seeing as Sofi didn't trust herself at the moment, and had surrendered her keys without question.

Parking swiftly and carefully, both Jayden and Sofi run down the now deserted halls of the hospital and burst through the double doors leading to the operating theaters. Waiting for them were Graham and a young nurse that Sofi recognised as Samantha Morrows.

"What's going on?" Sofi asked. Samantha was her best friend, she had been in New Zealand for little over a year doing an independent study in medicine and had recently graduated university with her MD.

Samantha looked up from her clipboard and smiled tiredly. On top of working as a nurse at the local hospital, she was also the top surgeon for the ARC; meaning if any of the Anomaly Research Team needed fixing up, she was the woman they called.

"Is Ryan okay?" Sofi asked, her heart beating fast. "I had your text, Graham, you said he was out of surgery."

"Hey, hey, it's okay," said Samantha, placing a hand on Sofi's shoulder. "He's out of surgery. They managed to repair the artery and stop the bleeding, but he did lose a lot of blood, he's going to need a transfusion."

Sofi nodded.

"But, he's going to be okay?" Jayden asked.

"Is he awake? Can I see him?" Sofi asked.

Sam sighed and shook her head. "It's not that simple, Sofi," she said. "While in theatre he slipped into a coma. We weren't able to revive him. We're hoping that the blood transfusion will help him beat the odds, but until he wakes up..."

Sofi felt her heart shudder to a stop. She had guessed that Ryan would slip into a coma, but the way Sam was talking made it seem that this was the last stop on the road.

"He can't die," said Sofi, shaking her head.

"They're doing everything they can, Sofi," said Graham. "Why don't you head home? You look like you could do with some sleep." He motioned for Jayden to take her home, but Sofi pulled away from her best friend.

Shaking her head, Sofi looked up at Sam. "Is he in a recovery ward or -?" she asked.

"He's in his own room," said Sam. She checked her clipboard. "Room 206. Down the hall to the left."

Sofi took off before anyone could stop her. She reached the door labelled 206 and paused outside, not sure what to expect on the other side. Then, she pushed the door open and step through.

Ryan was lying on a single hospital bed with a sheet pulled up to his waist, the rest of his body covered in a hospital gown. There were wires and tubes coming out of almost every part of him while an oxygen mask was attached to his face, covering his mouth. The machines beside his bed beeped, reading a steady heartbeat; but the man it belonged to looked dead.

Sofi choked and stepped up to the left side of the bed. She took Ryan's hand and raised it to her lips, pressing a small kiss to his knuckles.

"We had a Raptor today," said Sofi, speaking in a steady and calm voice. She smiled as she thought about how Ryan would've dealt with the situation. "I don't think I could've talked you out of wanting to shoot it."

Ryan's chest rose and fell softly.

Sofi bit her lip to keep from crying, but her voice broke as she addressed Ryan's figure again. "You have to wake up," she pleaded. "I don't think I can do this without you."


	8. Toxic Invasion

The next morning, after being awoken by Samantha, Sofi left the hospital - with the promise she would be back later - and headed to the ARC. It was nine o'clock when she arrived in the main ops rooms, she found the others already waiting for her.

"How's Ryan?" Abby asked, sidling up to Sofi as she reached a vacant desk. She took in the youngest appearance and noticed that Sofi looked like she hadn't slept a wink all night.

Sofi shook her head. "He's not out of the woods yet," she answered. "Sam's prepping him for a blood transfusion."

"Yeah?"

Sofi nodded.

"Well, Sam's good at her job," said Abby. "Look what she did for Jayden when he got bit by the Athropluera. Ryan's in good hands."

Sofi smiled at Abby. "Thanks," she whispered.

Abby squeezed Sofi in a one-armed hug and kissed the side of her head. Over the last few months, they had grown close, treating one another like sisters than friends.

Two minutes later, Nick burst through the doors at the back of the room. He was only two minutes late, but Lester was irritated enough by his lack of punctuality.

"You're late," Lester said, stating the obvious.

"So? Fire me," said Nick.

"We can all dream," Lester sighed. "Anyway, now that you're all finally here, perhaps we can get going." He looked around as the doors opened for a second time. "Ah. Yes, I'd like you all to meet your new colleague... this is Jennifer Lewis."

Sofi looked up from her phone and smiled at the new addition. The woman stood at almost 5ft 5in, with shoulder-length auburn hair and chocolate brown eyes. She was wearing a pencil skirt, a white blouse, and a stunning jacket that completed her look.

She looked classy and very professional.

Nick looked around, stopping short at the new face in the room. His eyes widened and he almost stumbled over himself as he approached the woman.

"Please, call me Jenny," Jennifer said, smiling at Lester. "Nice to meet you."

"Claudia Brown," Nick breathed, staring at Jenny.

Sofi, Stephen, Abby, and Connor shared an uncertain look from behind the Professor.

"Jenny," Jennifer said, insightfully.

"Miss Lewis," said Lester, his voice taking on a whole new pompous and impressive tone, "has been appointed a senior position on the team. That means she answers to me, and you lot answer to her."

"I didn't think we answered to anybody," said Stephen.

"Aside from the Professor," Sofi added.

"Scientists," Lester scoffed to Jenny.

"It's quite alright, James," Jenny chuckled. "I'm used to working with creative people."

Sofi shared a look with Abby. "Way to be passively patronising," she muttered.

Abby smirked.

"Claudia," Nick interrupted. He was insistent that this woman was the woman he had been searching for since coming back from the Permian with Helen.

"My name's not Claudia," Jenny said, smiling politely.

"Claudia Brown," Nick repeated. He was starting to sound like a broken record.

"I think you're confusing me with somebody else," Jenny said. Her politeness was starting to falter.

"No," said Nick, shaking his head. "I know, I know that you think your name is Jenny Lewis, but you're really a woman called Claudia Brown. There's a good reason for this, and I can give you a rational explanation. Right, Sofi?" he looked around at the teenager, expectantly.

Sofi stammered.

"Ah, yes," said Lester, taking the attention off of Sofi. "Meet Professor Nick Cutter. A fascinating study of the tipping point between inspiration and lunacy."

"Is everything alright, Professor?" Leek asked, cocking his head to the side.

"I know this sounds insane," Nick continued, ignoring everyone's stairs. "But you're a woman called Claudia Brown. Just listen -"

Sofi glanced around at Connor. He nodded and approached the Professor, clapping him on the shoulder.

"The Anomaly detection, Professor," said Connor. "You said that we should talk about it, remember? Can we do that now? Sofi, join us..." he added, forcefully drawing Sofi away from Abby.

The youngest followed Connor and Nick up the ramp so that they were outside the offices overlooking the main ops room.

"That's Claudia Brown," Nick said, quietly. He didn't understand why no one believed him.

"I know," Connor said.

Both Nick and Sofi stared at Connor.

"You know?" Sofi asked.

"Then why didn't you say something?" Nick asked.

Connor sighed and shook his head. "I know that is what you believe, Professor, but me? I've never seen that woman before in my life," he explained.

"And you?" Nick asked Sofi.

Sofi shook her head. "I've met a lot of people doing this job," she said. "Miss Lewis isn't one of them."

"What's going on?" Nick whispered.

"Come on, Professor, you can't go flaky on us now," said Connor, shaking his head. "I mean, it's not even 12:00 o'clock, yet, but we're probably gonna have to save the world again before bedtime, yeah?"

Nick nodded.

"I think you may want to apologise," said Sofi, glancing over the railing and down at Jenny. The older woman was staring at them but looked away when she met Sofi's gaze. "I think she's a little freaked out, and given the nature of her new job, she's going to have enough of that from the creatures."

Connor forced a chuckle and Nick headed back downstairs. "What is going on, Sof?" he asked.

"I've been doing some thinking," said Sofi, "and, I don't think he is losing his mind. It is possible that everything he is talking about is real. Just not in this world."

Connor cocked his head to the side. "So, what, you think he's in an alternate world?" he asked.

"You're the SciFi nerd," said Sofi. "You tell me. Think about, Connor, everything he is saying - he didn't know about the ARC, he still thought we were at Home Office. There are people in here that he didn't know about, like Leek, for example. Leek was with us when we  _left_  the Home Office. He may not have started out from the very beginning with us, but he crossed to here, he interacted with the Professor on several occasions."

Connor nodded, taking in everything that Sofi was saying. "Alright, I'll bite," he said. "But what if it's not just about being an alternate world? What if it is an entirely different timeline?"

"Wouldn't that mean he's not our Professor?" Sofi asked.

"No, no, he's the same Professor," said Connor. "He's just somehow created his own branch from the original timeline."

Sofi sighed and turned to clutch the railing. "This is why we have to put the creatures from the past back alive," she said. "It is obvious now that the creatures are the loose strings, and we've somehow pulled the wrong one to cause History to unravel."

"So, what do we do?" Connor asked. "Do we tell the Professor what we've figured out?"

Sofi watched as Nick conversed with Lester, Leek, and Jenny. "Not yet," she said. "Right now it is just a theory. We need proof to make it real."

Connor nodded.

**~X~**

Around mid-afternoon, while working in her lab, Sofi was interrupted by Nick. He looked mildly impressed as he surveyed the room; his gaze drifted over the evidence boards, the files of information, the many computers that lined the back walls, and the sterile tables that were littered with various pieces of paper. The only table that was clear was the one in the centre of the room, on it was a single lone laptop, a tablet, and a folder of notes.

"So, working from home is a thing of the past, eh?" Nick asked.

Sofi shrugged. "Once we made the move to the ARC, I figured that I didn't need to hide my work anymore," she said. "Doing everything here makes it easier to present to the team and Lester."

Nick nodded and crossed to look over the evidence boards. One had old anomalies, articles concerning creature incursions, and hand-written notes that delved into some parts of Sofi's mind, showing her findings and theories. A map full of several different coloured sticky dots, and scribbles took up most of the board, and Nick realised it was the map she had used to figure out her anomaly referencing theory.

"How long have we been here, Sofi?" Nick asked.

Sofi looked thoughtful. "The transfer finished just before the dodo incursion," she said. "We interviewed Helen here. The records of that interview should be with security."

"So, about two/three months ago?"

"Something like that," Sofi said, nodding. "The place was still in the middle of being refurbished, so the only places that were actually completely done were the interrogation rooms. Connor and Duncan were also interviewed there."

"Duncan was brought to the ARC?" Nick asked.

Sofi nodded. She had gone back to her work but was still listening to every word the Professor was saying and asking.

"What else has happened here?" Nick asked.

"Um, well, if you check the accident logs, you'll see that Connor is the first name in there," said Sofi.

Nick cracked a smile. "Do I want to know why?" he asked.

Sofi grinned. "It's not forbidden that we bring recreational activities into the ARC," she explained. "But we do have to abide by Health and Safety rules. Well, around the third week of us being here, Connor was skateboarding between the gym and the rec room, I say he was showing off to Abby, but he denies it, obviously, but, anyway, his stunt went screwy and he crashed into the security desk setting off the alarms and everything. It was total chaos."

"I bet that didn't go over well with Lester?"

"Nope," Sofi said, shaking her head. "I'm also sure that Ryan would've shot him, too, if I hadn't stepped in."

Nick smiled and leaned against the desk. "How is the Captain?" he asked.

"He's on his way to having a blood transfusion," said Sofi. "Graham's still with him, and is keeping me updated every step."

"You should be with him," said Nick.

Sofi shook her head. "I'm no help are the hospital," she said. "And, as I've said before, I am better off focusing on my work when something is out of my control. There are no anomalies for the time being, so I am focusing on my thesis."

"You're still writing it?" Nick asked, surprised.

"Of course!" Sofi said. "Why wouldn't I?"

Nick shrugged. "Just figured, given what you know about the past, present and future, your thesis would've been proven true," he said.

"Yes, but  _I_ know it's true," said Sofi. "No one else does. You're not the only Professor that will be grading me, Nick, I have to prove my theories to another who isn't a part of the ARC team."

"Fair point," Nick said, chuckling. "Alright. I'll get out of your way, then."

"Call me if anything creepy shows up," Sofi called as Nick left the lab.

He made his way down the corridor to the ops room and stopped short as he spotted Lester, Leek, and Jenny waiting for him.

**~X~**

Parking the Mustang behind Nick's jeep, Sofi and Jayden jumped out of the front seats and rushed to the front of the busy street. They quickly bypassed the yellow tape after flashing their government ID cards to the officers in charge and looked up at the office building looming over them.

"You can't come in here," said the Chief Fire Officer.

"Uh, I think you'll find we can," said Jayden, flashing his ID card. It was a simple picture ID that showed he was part of a Military Task Force.

"And her?" the Chief asked, nodding at Sofi. She could understand his hesitation, she looked much too young to be part of the Military, despite being nineteen, and she wasn't old enough to be a part of MI5, MI6, or any government branch for the matter.

"She's with us," said Jenny Lewis, arriving with Nick. She showed her own ID card to the Chief. "This is a matter of National Security, and Sofi here is a highly trained government profiler. On top of that, can I ask all your men to withdraw until I give the all-clear?"

"What?" the Chief asked, stunned.

"I want all these people back about half a mile," Jenny continued, indicating to the horde's of civilians behind her, "and if any of your team speak to the press, they're fired."

Sofi shared a surprised look with Jayden. Jenny was definitely good at her job.

The Chief sighed.

"Now, do as she says," Nick said, nodding at him. "You always with this bossy?" he added to Jenny.

"I understand the object's to get the job done," said Jenny. She smiled at the Chief and walked away.

Turning back to the building, Sofi craned her neck until she was almost staring vertically upwards. "Does anybody feel like filling me in on what's happening up there?" she asked, lowering her head again. The back of her neck had started to ache.

"At a guess, I'd say some kind of chemical leak," said the Chief. "We've got a few idiots who ignored the alarm stuck on the 14th floor. Two of my firefighters were in there as well."

"Yeah, okay," Nick nodded at the Chief as he walked away.

As the Chief left, Stephen finally arrived. "Sorry, sorry, sorry," he apologised, over and over again. "I got here as soon as I could."

"Well, given the roads are blocked for half a mile, I don't see how we can blame you for being a little late," said Jayden.

But Nick was staring at Stephen. "Is everything alright?" he asked.

"Yeah," said Stephen, after a brief pause. "Everything's fine."

Sofi narrowed her eyes at her friend, and then quickly followed him into the building.

"Where are you going?" Jenny called after them. "What am I supposed to do?"

"Ah, you'll think of something," Nick called back.

Looking around the foyer, Jayden headed for the stairs and took them two at a time. He had just reached the eighth floor, with Nick and Stephen coming up behind him, and Sofi bringing up the rear. She was puffing and panting a lot more than her male counterparts.

"You need to get in shape, Sof," Jayden teased.

"I'll have you know I am in plenty shape," Sofi said. "But, following three giants up eight floors while you're a normal size? That's not fair."

The three men laughed and Sofi rested against the wall to catch her breath.

"Wait a minute," said Stephen. "If there's no fire, the lifts will be safe."

Sof nodded. She didn't trust herself to speak and was still clutching a stitch in her side.

Stephen bypassed Jayden and Nick, pausing at the stairwell door. The fog behind it was really thick and made it damn near impossible to see. Taking a deep breath, Stephen opened the door and instantly shut it again.

"That's rank!" Jayden said, plugging his nose and mouth.

Sofi nodded her agreement.

"Smells like... Something rotting," said Stephen, coughing.

"That's their version of the Earth's atmosphere," said Nick.

"So, what Era are we looking at?" Jayden asked.

"Probably Precambrian," said Sofi. "It's high in sulphur and carbon dioxide."

"Any idea on what kind of incursion we could be dealing with?"

Sofi shrugged. "There's not much in the Precambrian that could cause an issue on the human population," she said. "Like I said, it's high in sulphur and carbon dioxide, and most animals rely on oxygen to survive."

"So, no incursion, then?"

"I didn't say that there was no incursion," said Sofi. "We've been proven wrong before, remember? The Authropluera was not supposed to be poisonous but both you and Stephen were bitten and almost died. The Dodo was also not supposed to be dangerous, but they, inadvertently, killed Tom by being infected."

Jayden looked from Sofi to the door and back again. "What are you saying?" he asked.

"I'm saying we need to be careful," said Sofi. "We can't be sure if something has come through, and if something has, we can't be sure what that something isn't dangerous."

Nick nodded and looked back to Stephen and Jayden. The latter blinked in confusion, it was clear that he hadn't followed a word that Sofi had said, while the former seemed to understand slightly more.

But, before they could decide on what their next form of action would be, a woman's voice calling for help echoed from behind the door.

"Stay here," Nick ordered Sofi.

"But -" Sofi started to protest, but Nick, Stephen, and Jayden were gone before she could finish. She huffed and slid down the wall, arms folded across her stomach.

The three men hadn't been gone long, and minutes later they came crashing back through the door, this time accompanied by a female firefighter. The woman crashed forward as something attacked her leg just as she passed the threshold.

Sofi tensed up as she spotted a giant hideous worm trying to drag the firefighter back into the fog. "Someone grab her!" she yelled.

Jayden hooked his hands under the firefighter's arms and pulled, while Stephen and Nick threw themselves against the door, trying to close it on the creature.

The tug of war continued back and forth for a couple of seconds before the worm seized up and released the woman. It fell flat, trying its hardest to breathe outside the fog. Then, it was motionless.

"It's dead," Nick said, as Jayden dragged the firefighter away from the door and helped her back to her feet.

"What happened?" Stephen asked.

"I'm not sure," Nick said, shaking his head. "I think it might be even further back than we initially thought."

Sofi nodded. "It's like I said earlier, there are some creatures that cannot breathe oxygen," she said, "and direct contact with our atmosphere will kill them. It's the reverse progress of our way of living. We can't live without oxygen without dying, and they can't live without sulpher."

"How do we go about clearing it?" Jayden asked.

"Air conditioning will do," said Sofi. "There should be a server room in here somewhere. If we can get to there then we can turn on the air conditioning."

"Ther server room is on the fifteenth floor," said the firewoman. "They said that's where the fire was coming from. But there wasn't. Just this fog and something glowing."

"The anomaly," Cutter said, standing up. He let out a breathy laugh which caused the firewoman to frown.

Sofi shook her head, catching the other woman's gaze. "It's a long story," she said.

"Yeah, but we need to go up and you need to go down," said Jayden. "If you stick to the stairs and stay out of the fog, you'll be fine. When you get outside, look for a Jennifer Lewis, she'll debrief you on everything and what happens next."

The woman nodded and stood up. He uniform was covered in a slobbery black substance, but she was relatively unhurt.

"But what about the people on the fourteenth floor?" the woman asked, stopping at the top of the stairs. "I have a duty to get them out."

"I know, and we'll find them," said Nick. "But you're job is done here. Go on." He offered her back the axe.

The woman shook her head. "No, you keep it. You might need it," she said.

"Thanks," Nick said, nodding.

The woman smiled briefly and then headed down the stairs. She paused and glanced back at the team, before continuing down and out.

With the lifts out of the question, the quartet continued their long trek up the stairs. Each level they passed was the same as the last.

"How are you holding up, Sof?" Jayden called over his shoulder.

"You ask me that one more time," Sofi panted, "and I'll feed you to the worms."

Jayden chuckled and carried on behind Stephen.

Sofi looked up as Nick's phone rang in his pocket. "Oh, I see we still have service," she said. "That's a relief, I guess?"

The phone continued to ring, but Nick didn't answer it. He merely rejected the call and pocketed the phone.

"What do we do now?" Stephen asked, stopping and looking up. They were on the twelfth floor, and still, have two left to go before they reached the floor with the idiots that had ignored the alarm were stranded, and three more to the server room.

Jayden looked around at them. "We could split up," he offered. "Sofi and I could continue on to the server room, while you and Stephen rescue the others, Professor."

But Nick shook his head. He didn't want to risk splitting up with carnivorous worms taking over the building.

"We can't keep going up," said Sofi, craning her neck over the railing. "The fogs getting thicker. Before long we're going to lose visual, and that's as bad as splitting up."

Nick nodded in agreement.

"What about the lifts?" Jayden asked. "It wasn't a bad idea last time, we just got railroaded by the firewoman."

"There is a chance that if the fog is too thick in the stairwell," said Sofi. "It's because the hallways have already been packed to capacity and it's seeping out through any opening it can find. You may find that we're just as blind in there are we are out here."

Again, Nick nodded.

"But we have to make a choice," said Jayden. "We're not helping anyone by standing around out here."

Sofi shared a look with Nick. "I'd rather die on the stairs than face a Precambrian Worm, but the lifts would be an easy choice to get up the rest of the floors," she said.

"Then let's do it," said Nick. He cupped the axe tightly in his hand and turned to Stephen as he reached for the door handle.

Stephen paused and turned to Jayden. "Tenner says I get there first," he challenged.

"Seriously? This is hardly the time or place!" Sofi cried.

Jayden patted her shoulder and grinned at Stephen. "Yeah, all right," he agreed.

"If Ryan could see you now!" said Sofi.

Stephen turned back to the door and yanked it open. As soon as he did, Jayden launched himself forward and ran for it. Stephen followed him three, heading in the same direction.

"I hope you both get eaten!" Sofi yelled. She obviously didn't mean it, but their childishness could be the difference between life and death.

Nick smirked and patted her shoulder, holding her close as they carefully made their way through the fog and towards the lift. They reached it to find Stephen and Jayden arguing over who had got there first.

"I hit the button so obviously I was here first," said Jayden.

"You had to reach across me to hit the button," said Stephen.

Sofi and Nick shared an amused, yet annoyed look.

"Why don't you just declare it a tie and be done with it?" Sofi asked, bored already.

Both Stephen and Jayden sighed and dropped the situation. The minute they had, the lift doors started to open and a worm raised its ugly head from the fog inside.

Sofi held her breath and clutched Nick's arm, pressing herself as closely as she could against his back. The worm lurched forward, sensing the air for any signs of a meal. It pulled back and then lurched forward again, spitting a slobbery mass of black goo into the air.

Nick pushed Sofi down as he ducked and the goop splattered against the wall behind them.

"Back to the stairs!" Nick yelled, forcing Sofi down the hall. He paused at the door and turned back, searching for either of the two other men that were supposed to be with them. "Stephen, Jayden?"

Sofi looked around wildly. "Where are they?" she asked.

"I don't know," Nick said.

Turning away from the door, Sofi pulled her phone from her pocket and dialled Jayden's number. It rung three times before he answered.

" _Sof?_ "

"Where are you?"

" _I don't know,_ " Jayden answered.

"Is Stephen with you?"

" _No. I thought he was with you._ "

Sofi looked back at Nick and shook her head. He sighed and thumped the wall.

"Can you make your way back to the stairwell?" Sofi asked. "Depending on where you are, Nick and I can come to you."

" _No, Sof, listen to me. Don't come looking for me, all right? Get out now. I'll be fine."_

Sofi shook her head. "That's not an option," she said. "Remember what you promised Ryan? That you'd shadow me and look out for me until he got back? Well, he's not back and I still need you. So, get back to the stairwell and text me the level you're on so I can find you."

" _Yes, ma'am,_ " Jayden said and Sofi could hear the smirk in his voice. She hung up and turned to Nick.

"Did you get in touch with Stephen?" Sofi asked.

"He's separated from Jayden and he's not sure where he is," said Nick. "He's going to try and make his own way up. What about Jayden?"

"He's trying to make his way back to the stairwell."

Nick nodded and looked back at his phone as he rung again. He was half-expecting to see Stephen's name but sighed when he saw it was Jenny.

"I think you better answer her," said Sofi. "She seems like the time to come investigate if left in the dark for too long."

Nick murmured and answered the phone.

"Been a bit busy," said Nick. He motioned to the stairs ahead of him and allowed Sofi to go first. "No, no! Don't do that. All right, you take the stairs to the 12th floor, and I'll meet you there. Now, don't use the lifts. I'll repeat that for you, don't use the lifts."

The line went dead and Sofi turned to Nick. "So, we have to stay here until Jenny joins us?" she asked.

"Unfortunately, yes," Nick said, sighing. "It wasn't my first choice. I did try and get to her stay where she is."

Sofi nodded and leaned against the railing. She felt her phone buzz in her pocket and took it out, expecting a text from Jayden telling her which level he was on but found that it was a message from Graham instead.

"I gotta call Graham," said Sofi.

Nick nodded and watched as Sofi dialled the Lieutenant's number. She took a deep breath and sat on the step, leaning her forehead against the cool metal railing.

" _Sofi?_ "

"How is he?"

" _The operation was completed without a problem_ ," said Graham. " _He's back in his room now. How's everything with you?_ "

Sofi forced a laugh. "Oh, you know, being chased around some office in South London by Precambrian carnivorous worms," she said.

" _Sounds fun. Are you okay?_ "

"Yeah. I'm okay."

A scream echoed from the other side of the door on the 12th floor. Sofi and Nick looked around, and then shared a nervous look.

"Graham, I have to go," said Sofi.

" _Be careful, Sofi._ "

"I will," Sofi said, nodding. She hung up and stood to face Nick. "That's Jenny. She must have taken the lifts after all."

Nick nodded. "Alright, you stay here," he said.

Sofi nodded and watched as Nick disappeared through the door. It closed with a snap and she took a deep breath as she waited. The seconds ticked by and a few minutes later, Nick returned with Jenny in tow. Her usually immaculate hair was pulled from its bun, and hanging around her shoulders, and she looked terrified.

"You all right?" Sofi asked, jumping from her seat and looking between Nick and Jenny.

"It's all true. Creatures. Dinosaurs?" Jenny breathed in disbelief. "This is my new job?" Everything had been perfectly sane when everything had been out of sight. But now? Now she had seen just what exactly she was dealing with, and it scared her greatly.

"Later on, I'll explain everything I know to you but right now, I've got work to do," said Nick. "And if you can't handle it, you'd best go back downstairs right now."

The clattering of footsteps echoed up the stairs and Sofi looked over the railing to see Connor and Abby finally arriving. They were carrying leaf blowers between them.

"You two took your time," said Nick, less than impressed with their lateness.

"You ever been to a garden centre on a Friday afternoon?" Connor asked.

"It's a madhouse," Abby agreed.

"Leaf blowers," said Sofi, nodding. "That'll work in the exact same way as the air conditioning."

Jenny looked around. "Where's Stephen and Jayden?" she asked.

"We got separated," Nick answered. "Come on." He headed up the stairs to the next level, leaving the others to follow behind in his wake.

**~X~**

Upon reaching the fourteenth floor, Nick led his team through the hallways, clearing the fog with the leafblowers and towards the office were those who had ignored the initial fire alarm were being trapped. The door was open and a fat, plump worm was laying just outside the door. It coiled away as the fog drifted and it slumped after it's sulfuric home.

"Follow me. Whatever you do, stay out of the fog," Cutter told the two civilians. He was wielding a samurai sword that he had taken from a display case and used it to save Jenny's life. It had come in handy once before, there was a chance it could do so again.

"What are those things?" the woman asked.

"They're worms," Cutter answered. "They're just a little bit less friendly than the ones you find in your garden."

Sofi glanced around. The fog that had once been blown away behind her had started to reset. "We should get going," she said. "Before this place is overrun again."

Nick nodded and motioned for the two civilians to come out of the office. They did without question and started to follow Abby and Sofi back down the hall. Jenny was between them and the civilians, while Connor and Nick brought up the rear.

They reached the stairwell without incident and were on their way back down to the floor below when Connor turned off his leafblower, satisfied that they were safe. "I think we're all right now," he said, hooking the blower over his shoulder.

He hadn't even finished speaking before a worm lurched over the railing and sucked Connor's head into its mouth.

"CONNOR!" Sofi yelled.

The sound of Connor's muffled voice came from inside the worm's mouth, and his arms waved wildly around as he tried to get the worm to release him. Rushing back up the stairs, Cutter slashed the sword's blade across the flesh of the worm, slicing its head clean off.

Blood splattered the walls and Sofi felt her stomach churn.

"Get it!" Connor pleaded.

Nick grabbed the head and pulled it free from Connor. He looked alright for someone that had nearly been worm food.

"Are you alright?" Nick asked, unable to keep the amusement off of his face.

Connor coughed and breathed heavily. "Yeah," he laughed. "Never been swallowed by a giant worm before, but I suppose it's all a learning experience, isn't it?"

Sofi laughed and shook her head. "It could've been worse," she said. "It could've been a lot worse."

Connor nodded in understanding and grimaced as Nick dumped the head of the worm in his lap. He pushed it aside and looked to Abby as Nick and Sofi walked away, leaving her to check on him.

As they reached the ground level, Sofi and Abby approached the front desk while Nick and Jenny led the civilians towards the exit. The woman, Shelley, was demanding answers from Nick and she seemed determined to get the truth.

"Nick," Sofi called, waving him over.

She would wait for Connor to get back from the bathroom before they settled on a more permanent plan, but there was nothing to stop her from planning one in advanced. Their next move was simple: they had to get the air conditioning to start working in order to evacuate the smoke out into the atmosphere. Once that was done, the worms should start to die without the sulphur and carbon dioxide keeping them alive.

When Connor did return, Sofi set about explaining her plan. She set two maps of the buildings floor plans on the front desk and pointed at different points.

"Where are Stephen and Jayden?" Connor asked, remembering Jenny's earlier question.

"We got separated," Nick repeated. "Stephen said he was making his own way up to the 13th floor, so I am guessing he is still on the 12th. As for Jayden..." he turned to Sofi.

Sofi checked her phone and shrugged. "He was supposed to text me when he reached the stairwell to let me know where he is," she said. "I haven't received a message, so I am guessing he can't get there."

"Then he could be anywhere," said Abby.

"We got separated on the 12th floor," said Sofi. "We haven't run into him on the way down. So he is either still there or he's gone up."

Nick nodded.

"So, how are we going to get them out after we do find them?" Connor asked. "I mean, the leafblowers are a good idea, but they only have a short-range on them, and the fog seems to get thicker the higher up we go. They may not have enough power to deal with the fog on the top floor."

Sofi nodded in agreement. "We've already decided that we're going to have to get rid of the fog through the ventilation shafts and windows," she said. "The worms can't breathe outside the fog, our atmosphere is like a poison to them."

"So, how do we get rid of the fog using the vents?" Abby asked. "They should be running constantly, shouldn't they?

"The firewoman from earlier said that there was an expected fire in the server room," said Sofi. "As a precaution, all electrical systems were shut down. Jenny has tried to get the electrical grid back on, but to no avail, without confirmation that there isn't a gas leak or a fire hazard, the grid company refuses to put it back on."

"Great," Abby sighed. "Meaning we have to do it manually."

Sofi nodded.

"Can't we just open the windows?" Connor asked.

"There are over a thousand windows in this place," said Sofi. "Besides, the entire building is temperature-controlled."

"Progress. What's the point?" Connor mumbled.

"So what do we do, then?" Abby asked, confused.

"Temperature-controlled? That's why you want to activate the Air-conditioning, yeah?" Connor asked Sofi.

Sofi nodded.

"All we need to do then is heat up the air, and, well, it'll expand and push the fog right out through the ventilation system, right?"

Sofi nodded vigorously. "Absolutely. But, as I've previously said, the temperature is controlled from the server room on -"

"The 15th floor," Connor finished. "Of course it is. It's going to get seriously hot in here."

Sofi nodded.

"We're going up there, aren't we?" Connor asked Nick.

"No," Nick replied, shaking his head. "You and Abby are going up there. Sofi and I are going to go find Stephen and Jayden."

Sofi nodded and left with Nick, as Connor and Abby contemplated a way to up to the 15th floor without using the stairs.

**~X~**

"Let me help. I want to do something," Jenny called as she chased after Nick and Sofi. They were returning to the stairwell.

Nick stopped and faced her. "Okay. I want you to go and bully a few traumatised bystanders, and then I want you to come up with some spin to just smooth this away," he said.

"You don't approve of me, do you?" Jenny asked. She glanced at Sofi. "Or you."

Sofi shrugged. "My feelings towards you are irrelevant to the job," she said. "Technically, you're not a field agent, so you shouldn't even be in here. It's your job to think of cover stories, and you can do that from behind a desk."

"As for myself," Nick added. "I used to think you were really something, but you're not that person."

"Am I supposed to understand that?" Jenny asked.

"No, I guess not," Nick replied.

Sofi pushed open the door to the stairwell and started the long ascent up the stairs. Nick followed her, and despite them not wanting her around, so did Jenny.

"I'm impressed," Jenny puffed. Climbing stairs in heels were no easy feat. "After everything Stephen's done, you're still willing to risk your life for him."

"Meaning what?" Nick asked.

"Lester asked me to assess anything that might interfere with the team's efficiency," Jenny said. "I thought Stephen's affair with Helen would have come into that category."

"So, he sent you here to spy on us?" Sofi asked. "Typical. The man's so afraid of being away from the ARC that he sends a lackey to do his job."

Nick smirked in amusement. This new Sofi was a lot more fiesty than the one he was used too.

"I prefer to call it management appraisal," Jenny replied.

"And you think that I should leave him up there to die just because of what happened with him and Helen?" Nick asked.

"Some people would."

"Well, I'm not one of them. Whatever problems I've got with Stephen, I can sort them out myself."

Sofi smiled faintly and continued to climb.

"Cutter, you're the team leader, we can't lose you," Jenny insisted. She was persistent in getting him to leave Stephen, and by default, Jayden to fend for themselves.

"What about Jayden?" Sofi asked. "He's lost up here too. Are we supposed to just leave him to die? Because, last I checked, he hadn't slept with Helen or anybody else's partner."

Jenny turned to Sofi. "Parker is a part of the SAS," she explained. "He is trained to look after himself."

"Not in a situation such as this," Sofi argued. "He's trained to fight off terrorists, not carnivorous worms."

"Lester told me you were the sensible one, Sofi," said Jenny. "You were a genius, but a sensible genius. Now, the sensible thing to do would be to let both Stephen and Jayden fend for themselves, as we can't lose either you or Nick. You're much too valuable to the team."

Sofi shook her head and turned to Nick. "She's right about one thing, and that's you're team leader," she said. "So, it's your call."

Nick considered both women. "You're right," he told Jenny. "But you already knew that."

Jenny prided herself with a smile.

"But, on the other hand, as the team leader it is my job to make sure my team makes it out alive," Nick added. "Every last one of them. Now, are you coming? Or are you going to stay down here and be sensible?"

Sofi grinned as Nick looked her way. She knew that he would come through.

**~X~**

Jayden scoured the hazy fog as he made his way through it to the office on the end. He had just dropped in through the ventilation shafts because he had heard a scuffle somewhere beneath him.

"Sof?" Jayden whispered. He wasn't sure exactly where he was, and while he had promised her that he would get back to the stairwell and message her, he had a duty of care to make sure that no one else was trapped in the building.

Entering the office, Jayden picked up a letter opener from a nearby desk and threw it at the water cooler in the corner. The small bladed knife stabbed through a worm's head at the same time, preventing it from spitting its black goo at an oblivious Stephen.

Stephen jumped and looked around. "Thanks," he said, surprised at the sudden appearance of the young SAS officer.

Jayden nodded. "Where're the others?" he asked.

"No clue," Stephen answered. "Cutter called about ten minutes ago. He's on his way up. I'm guessing Sofi is with him."

"She is," Jayden said. "I spoke to her about an hour ago." He runs the back of his hand over his hairline. "Is it getting hot in here or is it just me?"

"The temperature's been increased to open the windows."

Jayden and Stephen turned to see Sofi following Nick into the room. The Professor had a leafblower and was using it to dispel the fog swirling around them.

"You took your time," said Stephen.

"Well, you run off on your own," Nick replied.

Jenny looked around her as she entered the office. "The fog is lifting," she said.

"It's working," said Nick.

"What's working?" Jayden asked.

"Remember the firewoman?" Sofi asked. "Remember how the worm that attacked her died when it breathed our air?"

Jayden nodded.

"We're sucking all the sulphur out of the air and depositing it outside," said Sofi. "We're leaving them no choice but to suffocate."

"What happened to protect the creatures of the past?"

Sofi shook her head. "If there were another way, I'd have done it," she said. "But there isn't. Killing them is our only chance."

"They don't seem to be dying," said Jenny. She was watching as a worm, rather than shrivel up and die, hit the ground and expanded. "What's happening to them?"

Nick stared, transfixed in horror. "It must be the heat," he said.

"They look like they're -" Jenny started.

"Look out!" Jayden grabbed Sofi and shielded her with his body as the worms exploded, covering the five of them from head to toe in slime, blood and, what could only be described as larvae.

"The heat makes them spawn!" Sofi cried, grabbing a larvae from Jayden's neck and ripped it off, leaving a welt the size of a peanut behind. "They're not biting," she said, as Jenny, Stephen, and Nick started to pull larave off themselves. "They're burrowing. They're trying to find a new host. Don't let them break the skin!"

As Sofi checked him from head to shoulders, Jayden grasped the ones on his arms and pulled them free. She was safe and in the clear, he had received the brunt end of it while he had shielded her.

"Gotta find something to bring the temperature down," said Nick.

"It'll take too long," Stephen said, ridding himself of another larvae.

Jumping up onto a nearby table, Sofi looked around the room. "Anybody got a light?" she asked.

Jenny quickly produced one from her purse, and Sofi raised it to the sprinkler system overhead. The instant the flame touched the pipe water burst forth and poured down on them, dousing them in the cool liquid and causing the larvae to release their hosts.

As Jayden helped Sofi down from the table, Nick turned to Jenny. "Claudia, are you alright?" he asked.

"Don't call me Claudia!" Jenny snapped. "And I'm fine," she added.

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Jayden suddenly started laughing, and soon after, the others joined in.

**~X~**

Sometime later, Sofi sat with Nick and Stephen outside the office building. They had dried off enough to remove the blood and gore of the worms, but still, Sofi was getting ready to head home, shower and change before returning to the hospital to be near Ryan.

"Do you ever wonder if what we're doing is right?" Stephen asked, suddenly.

"How do you mean?" Sofi asked.

"I mean, maybe the anomalies have a purpose. Maybe we should stop fighting, and face them."

"What? Just stand by and do nothing?" Nick asked.

"Connor and I were thinking earlier," said Sofi. "And we've come to the conclusion that it is the creatures that are the loose strings, and that the anomalies are just a force fo nature."

"Well, I think that people should know what is happening," said Stephen. "'Cause we're going to need to prepare for whatever comes next."

"Yeah, but how do we prepare for a world where evolution has gone mad?" Nick asked. "We have to fight to try and maintain some kind of natural order."

"Does anybody really know what the natural order is any more?" Stephen asked.

Sofi sighed. "Look, I know I always tell Jayden about Jurassic Park being fiction, but some of the stuff that was mentioned in both the film and the book have some weight. Like, when Alan Grant told Mr Hammond that Dinosaurs and Man have been separated for sixty-five million years and suddenly been thrown back into the mix together. Each side is going to act defensively and aggressively, it's in our nature as apex predators."

Both Nick and Stephen considered her words before Nick stood and walked away, towards his car.

Sofi watched him go and then turned back to Stephen. "For the record," she said, earning herself his attention. "I don't think we should tell anyone just yet. We have modern-day animals going extinct as we speak, and all because humans are at the top of the food chain and don't understand the delicate balance of nature. Imagine the chaos if they knew Dinosaurs existed?"

Stephen looked like he wanted to argue, but a yawn from Sofi stopped him. "You should go home and get some rest," he said instead.

"I think I will," said Sofi, nodding. "Maybe you should go home and take a shower? You stink."

Stephen chuckled and watched as Sofi stood and walked away.


	9. Sabre-Toothed Madness

_Sofi: Not that I care, but Leek is getting impatient. Where are you?_

_**Abby: Just waiting on Connor. Be there ASAP.** _

_Sofi: What the hell is he doing? This is his big debut. I thought he'd be on time, at least._

_**Abby: Connor's main priority right now is Caroline.** _

Sofi rolled her eyes at the latest text message from Abby. They had been messaging back and forth for the last ten minutes. Abby was with Connor, somewhere in London while Sofi was at the ARC with the rest of the team, waiting. Today was the day in which Connor revealed his new machine that would help them locate anomalies before the public.

"He'll be here," Cutter soothed an ever-increasing agitated Leek.

Sofi met Cutter's gaze and nodded at her phone. "They're on their way," she confirmed, sliding her phone back into her pocket.

Leek huffed and folded his arms in annoyance. He hated to be kept waiting.

Several minutes later, the double doors leading from the main ops room to the long corridor outside, burst open and Connor, followed by Abby, rushed in. They were both out of breath from running.

"Sorry, sorry!" Connor called, swinging around Sofi and tapping the technician behind the massive three-screened computer on the shoulder. "Mr John, if you'll kindly put me in the driver's seat."

The technician tapped a few keys, handed Connor a small device, and then left. The rest of the team crowded round.

"Haha!" Connor grinned, hitting a few more keys, bringing the monitors to life. He turned to face the others. "I'd like you to meet the Anomaly Detection Device, or ADD for short - Actually, that's probably not the best acronym, is it?"

Sofi smiled faintly at Connor's rambling. It was understandable that he was nervous. This was a big deal for them.

"Connor, breathe," Nick said.

Connor took a deep breath. "Sorry. What you are looking at is the fully-integrated graphic representation of the radio communications matrix, networking the whole of the UK's transmitters."

"Congratulations," Jenny said, smirking. "You built your very own satnav."

"I believe you can get them dashboard size nowadays," Leek said, grinning at Jenny and adjusting his tie.

Jenny giggled.

Sofi rolled her eyes.

"This watches over the UK 24/7. So..." Connor hit a button and an alarm started to ring around the ARC accompanied by red flashing lights, and the words 'Anomaly Detected' appeared on the monitors.

"What is that?" Leek asked.

"That is just a demo," Connor answered. "But when a real anomaly appears this machine can alert us within seconds."

Sofi smiled. "Nice one," she said.

"Thank you very much," Connor grinned.

"What about when out in the field?" Stephen asked.

Connor picked up a bulky hand-held device from the table. "This is one I made earlier," he said. "This is a palm-held detector for use in the field. It's a short wave radio receiver. It's got an effective range of about 100 metres or so."

"I was hoping for something a little bit more compact," said Nick, taking the device and looking it over. He passed it to Stephen.

"Yeah, it's just a prototype so we can work on that," Connor said, nodding. He was open to criticism.

Sofi took the device from Stephen. "I don't think we can get this much smaller," she said, looking it over. "I'm not fussed on the antenne, though. It looks like a satellite phone."

Connor nodded. "We can work on it," he said.

"Have you tried beaming up with yet?" Jenny teased.

"Are you here to help or just to be sarcastic?" Connor asked her. He took the device back from Sofi. "This is a serious piece of kit, alright? It will be when I've ironed out the kinks."

Sofi watched as Leek returned. He had left the group to take a phone call, and the look on his face did not bode well with her.

"Technical question," Leek said.

"Yes?"

"Is the detector online now?"

"It is."

"Hmm. So it should be picking up every new anomaly?"

"Yeah."

Sofi looked between Leek and Connor. She didn't like were this questioning was going.

"So why have I just been told that we have a new creature attack?" Leek asked, holding up his phone.

Sofi looked around at Nick and then turned to Connor. This was not good.

**~X~**

Blue Sky Park was thriving with tourist, UK residents, holidaymakers, and thrill-seekers, all of them looking to get the biggest and best thrills that the amusement park had to offer. Opposite the wooden gazebo that the team had set up in, Sofi could see the parks main ride - the Stealth Rollercoaster - making its fourth turn of the tracks.

"How much of a thrill seeker are you, Sofi?" Jayden asked, watching as the coaster's cars hurtled at breakneck speeds around the metal track. "Ever ridden Stealth before?"

Sofi shook her head. "I've ridden the Big One in Blackpool," she said, setting up her computer. "Have you?"

Jayden nodded. "Yeah. My Mum brought my brother and sister here for their birthday last year," he explained. "I met them after work."

"Fun day?"

"It was okay."

Sofi cocked her head to the side. "You don't sound so enthusiastic about it," she said. "What happened?"

"Nothing much. Mum and Dad made the plans to come here and then dad bailed," Jayden answered. "Said he had to work. Turns out he was having an affair with my brother's teacher and he had made plans to be with her."

"Ouch," Sofi winced. "I'm sorry, Jayden."

Jayden shook his head. "So, what's the plan for today?" he asked, changing the subject.

Sofi took her camera out of her bag. "Well, first, I'm going to take pictures of the body and then try and build a profile based on them. The others are going to search the park for any evidence that will support a creature theory, and Connor's still moaning over the ADD while testing the palm-hands in the field."

"It'll be disappointing if that machine of his doesn't work," said Jayden.

"Agreed," Sofi nodded. "I'll be right back."

Jayden watched her walk towards where Cutter and Abby were examining the body. She stopped beside the covered remains and took quick snaps shots as Cutter held up the sheet. He was amazed by how calm she could remain under pressure, and even how collected she was at facing some of the savageries that these animals caused.

"I've got enough," said Sofi, snapping the last picture and putting her camera down. "You can zip up the body now."

Abby nodded and pulled the zipper around.

"Claw marks everywhere," said Nick. "He's been ripped to shreds."

"If I was back at the zoo, I'd say it was a lion," said Abby.

"That's consistent with the bone gnawings," said Sofi, looking over the pictures on her camera screen.

"All right. Big cat, then," said Cutter, loudly. He looked up at Connor who was still searching for an active anomaly.

"No radio interference. No magnetic field. No sign of an anomaly," Connor explained. He sighed as he was met with total silence. "You know, I checked, I double-checked, every chip and circuit board in that detector, it's working I'm telling you. If there was an anomaly, it would've shown up. I stake my life on it."

"You may have to," said Nick.

Stephen shook his head. "No, maybe he's got a point," he said, jumping to Connor's defence. "Perhaps there is another explanation for this."

"There are thousands of big cat sightings every year," Abby agreed. "Pumas, Leopards, Lynxes."

"But none of them is big enough to do this kind of damage," said Sofi. "I mean, look at the claw marks, There are at least three inches between each one. The paw that belonged to is too big to be a modern-sized day big cat."

Nick looked at Sofi expectantly. "What's your theory?" he asked.

Sofi shrugged. "Maybe a big cat did do it, just not the type that we're used to seeing these days," she said. "We know that there are prehistoric big cats in the fossil records - Smilodon being the most famous."

"But that means it came through an anomaly," said Connor. "There isn't one."

"Again, maybe not," said Sofi. "For all we know the anomaly could've opened up before the detector was online and it closed straight after, trapping the creature on this size."

Stephen looked unconvinced. "We've never come across an anomaly that closes that fast," he said. "All the ones we've found so far have been open for hours."

"This is just a theory," said Sofi. She looked back at Nick. "The only way to actually prove what's happened here is by finding the evidence to back up the facts. We find this creature, and then we can determine whether or not it came through an anomaly."

Nick nodded. "You're right. She's right," he added to the others. "So, here's what we're going to do - Abby, check with animal control if any big cats have been reported in and around the area in the last few days."

Abby nodded and walked off.

As his phone beeped, alerting him to a text message, Stephen stepped aside and checked. Sofi watched as his body language shifted - his face fell, and a look of panic crossed his eyes.

"Is everything okay?" Nick asked.

Hastily, Stephen stuffed his phone back into his pocket and regained his composure. "Yeah, yeah, yeah," he said. He turned his back on the team and walked away. His job was to locate tracks and try and find the creature.

Sofi furrowed her brow but decided against chasing after him. Instead, she turned to Nick. "I'm going to go see if I can work on a creature profile," she said, leaving the gazebo.

As Sofi left, Connor approached Nick.

**~X~**

As the others went about the business of locating the creature, Sofi sat in the safety of a second gazebo with Jayden searching the database that Connor had put together for the last several years, fo a possible match to the claw marks left on the victim's body. She had narrowed down the list to a few possible big felines that fit the description of what she was looking for.

"Anything interesting?" Jayden asked, wandering over. He had been patrolling the area around the gazebo and making regular check-ins.

Sofi took a deep breath. "There are a few possible creatures that could've come through an anomaly," she said.

"Obviously Smilodon is right at the top," Jayden said, grinning.

"We can't rule it out yet."

Jayden nodded. "How weird would it be if we are dealing with a Smilodon?" he asked.

"How do you mean?" Sofi asked, confused.

"Oh, you know," said Jayden, shrugging. "Weird in the sense that Helen warned us about Sabre-Toothed killers, and now we are actually dealing with one."

"You think she was foreshadowing?" Sofi asked.

"Maybe. I mean, you know her better than I do."

Sofi shook her head. "I used to know her better than you did," she said. "I knew Helen Cutter, not personally, but through her work. That ended eight years ago. I don't think I would trust her as far as I could throw her these days, especially not after what she revealed to Nick in the Forest of Dean about her and Stephen."

"Yeah, I agree, that was a low blow on her part," Jayden agreed.

The two were silent for a few minutes. Sofi tapped at her keys, searching and eliminating other possible creatures, while Jayden looked over the pictures on her camera. He winced at each new image, grimacing at the pain the poor victim must've endured before his death.

"It looks like the fatal blow was to the throat," said Jayden, zooming in on the cut across the victim's throat.

"Yeah, I saw that, too," Sofi nodded. "But, I am more curious about these marks around his ankles." She pointed at the red scratches on his legs. "Normally, a big predator would go for the ankles of its prey to try and trip it up. A big cat is no different. Once the creature is down, it is easier for a big cat to get on top of it and wrap its jaws around its neck."

"Snap the spinal cord," said Jayden. He had been around Sofi enough times to pick up on a few things.  _That_ , and he watched a lot fo Discovery Channel.

Sofi nodded absentmindedly.

"I think we can rule out the Xenosmilus," said Sofi.

"A what now?"

"Xenosmilus," Sofi repeated. "It was a relative of the Smilodon. But, instead of ripping its prey to shreds or strangling it by going for the throat, all it did was rip a huge chunk of flesh out of the prey item and wait for it to bleed to death. Our victim was completely shredded."

Jayden nodded. He was still flicking through the images on the camera.

"Homotherium is also out," said Sofi. "It's a pack hunter. If there were a pack of creatures here then someone would've seen them by now, and we'd have more than one victim."

"So, our best bet is still the Smilodon?" Jayden asked.

"For now, yes," Sofi nodded.

**~X~**

Without much luck in locating the creature, the team regrouped outside the park as the sun started to set. Sofi showed her findings to Nick and explained that right now the only creature she could think of was the Sabre-Toothed Cat. Out of all the creatures that she had profiled, it was the only one that fit the description perfectly.

"If it is a Sabre-Tooth," said Abby. "Why haven't we found it yet?"

"This thing dominated the Ice Age," said Sofi. "It's the perfect killing machine. It's built for stealth and ambush and it's a solitary creature, which is why there is only one recorded kill. We haven't found it yet because it's good at hiding."

Abby nodded in understanding.

"Here," said Nick, tossing both Abby and Sofi a headpiece each.

"What are these?" Abby asked.

"They're heat-sensitive creatures," Nick answered. "The creature knows this territory well. It's made a kill here, and I think it's going to come back."

"If it is a Smilodon then it's probably nocturnal," said Sofi." So its senses are going to be sharper than ours."

Nick nodded. "I shouldn't have to say this but be careful," he warned. "Any questions?"

Connor raised his hand. "Can I have a gun?" he asked.

"Take a wild guess," Nick asked.

"No?" Connor answered.

"Good guess."

Sofi chuckled. Apparently, while she had been creating a creature profile for the team to use, Connor had run into an incident out in the park. He had been left on sentry duty, and mistaken a man in a lion costume for an actual creature and shot at him. The man had walked away shaken, but unharmed, and a hole had been left in his mask from where the bullet had penetrated.

"If you're worried, stay close to Abby," Nick said, passing the blonde a rifle. "Sof..."

"I know," Sofi nodded. "Stay close to either you or Jayden."

Nick nodded. He knew that Sofi would choose Jayden over him, but the offer to stay with him was always open to her.

As they ventured into the woods surrounding the park, the team split off into pairs. Stephen and Nick went one way, Abby and Connor the other, while Jayden and Sofi went another. Sofi stuck as close to Jayden as she possibly could, scanning the area for any signs of other warm-blooded mammals.

"You look really hot in these," Jayden said.

Sofi rolled her eyes. "That's probably because they're infrared," she asked.

Jayden chuckled. "What if they were x-ray?" he asked. "You'd probably still look hot through them."

"Sure, if you find a skeleton attractive," said Sofi. "Our fleshy bodies can't absorb high energy beams of an electromagnetic radiation beam which is why you only see the bone structure."

"Know-it-all," Jayden murmured.

Sofi grinned. She knew better than to take anything Jayden said about her to seriously.

_**Snap.** _

Jayden and Sofi froze in their tracks.

"Was that you?" Sofi asked.

"I was just about to ask you that," Jayden replied.

Looking around the area, Sofi held her breath as she took in the cool areas through her goggles. There were no reds or orange featured in the area so whatever had made the snapping noise wasn't anywhere close.

Suddenly, fun and bubbly music filled the night air.

"Do you hear that?" Jayden whispered.

"It's coming from the train station," Sofi answered.

"Should we head over?"

Sofi nodded and the pair made their way back to the main gates of the park. There they regrouped with Abby, Connor and Nick.

"Where's Stephen?" Jayden asked.

"He's taken Valerie home," Nick answered. "Her van cut out."

"What's she doing out in the middle of nowhere at the dead of night?" Sofi asked.

Nick shrugged. "Don't worry about Valerie," he said, shaking his head. "We should get to the train station."

The others nodded and headed towards their separate cars.

**~X~**

Having left Jayden and Abby in the cars at the entrance to the train station, Sofi, Nick met up with Jenny as she questioned a witness to the attack on the Blue Sky Park manager. He had, apparently, been attacked by a big cat, and the witness had managed to get it all on camera.

After setting up her MacBook, Sofi uploaded the camera's SD card to her personal drive and skimmed through the pictures. They were blurry, and it was almost impossible for her to make out the creature involved in the attack.

"Can't you get it any clearer?" Nick asked.

"You're asking the wrong girl here, Nick," Sofi answered.

"Do you mind if I try?" Connor asked.

Sofi turned her MacBook towards him.

Connor leaned forward and tapped away at the keys.

"You have no right to hold me here or confiscate my pictures," the photographer said. He was annoyed that he was being held by people who were clearly not the police.

Jenny sighed and turned to face him. "You want to help, don't you? A man's just been killed," she said.

"Yeah, I know. I saw it," the man said. "Unbelievable. That creature..."

"What did it look like?" Sofi asked.

The man shrugged. "Like a... big cat," he said.

"That's all you got from it?" Sofi asked visibly disappointed.

"It was the size of a lion but it was too bulky to be one," the man said. "Its head looked like a tiger's head. But I've never seen or heard of an animal that has the body shape of a lion and the head of a tiger. It's just not..." he cut off.

Sofi looked at Nick and Connor. "There is such a thing as a Liger" she said. "But I'm dubious that a crossbreed is doing these attacks. They hardly ever saw outside of big zoos, and I've never heard of crossbreeds in the UK before."

"This wasn't anything like the big cats of today," the man said.

"Well, listen, no one knows for sure exactly what happened yet," said Jenny, interrupting.

"Are you being serious?" the man asked. "It's all the in photographs. This is going to make me a fortune."

"The pictures are classified. We'll need your SD card," said Jenny, turning serious and professional. She held out her hand.

The man took a startled step back. "This is a four gig ultra-fast," he explained.

"I'm still curious why we gave it back to him in the first place," Sofi muttered, leaning closer to Connor.

Connor grinned at her and then got back to work.

"How can I make your life better?" Jenny asked.

"I'm sorry?" the man asked, flabbergasted.

"Kenny, isn't it?" Jenny asked.

"Yeah."

"Kenny, I used to be a train-spotter," Jenny admitted, taking the entire room by surprise. "I come from a long line of them. Wonderful hobby, isn't it?"

Kenny flushed as he removed his beanie. "Well, it's more than just a hobby," he said.

"Of course, I understand," Jenny agreed, dropping her voice to barely a whisper. "I mean, every man has his passion."

Sofi bit back a snigger.

"Listen, if you could just help me out," Jenny continued to flirt. "And I will get you VIP access to the train depot of your choice."

"You can do that?" Kenny asked.

"You'd be amazed at what I can do."

Taking a second to consider the offer, Kenny grinned, his eyes alight like a child on Christmas morning. "I want to see the UFM160 track inspection vehicle," he said, excitedly.

"Done," Jenny confirmed.

Kenny grinned broadly, handed over his SD card, and left the room. Once he had left, Jenny turned back to the team.

"You're a real piece of work, aren't you?" Nick asked her.

"Thank you," Jenny said, handing over the SD card. "I'll take that as a compliment."

With her attention now solely focused on the MacBook, Sofi's breath caught in her throat as Connor finished clearing up the images.

"Nick? Looks like I was right," said Sofi.

"In what way?" Jenny asked.

"In thinking, we're dealing with a Smilodon," Sofi replied. "These pictures confirm that we are, indeed, dealing with a sabre-toothed cat."

"For a creature that has a heavy build," said Nick. "They're fast, elegant, and are natural-born killers."

Connor turned to Sofi. "Don't you hate being right all the time?" he asked.

"Sometimes," Sofi said, nodding.

**~X~**

"Coffee," Sofi announced, arriving at the outdoor cafe area with Jayden and two trays of hot coffee. She handed them out to their respective recipients and sat opposite Abby on the bench. On its table was a map, each quadrant had been marked off with a pen.

"What's this?" Jayden asked.

"We've marked the areas were kills have been made," said Stephen. "We're now setting up perimeters where we can set traps."

"Do you really think a trap is going to work against a Smilodon?"

Sofi sipped her coffee.

"If we dig a deep enough trench, it shouldn't be able to claw its way out," said Stephen. "Connor's gone into the nearest town to get bait."

"You're gonna lure it out with frozen meat?" Sofi asked.

"You have a better idea?"

Sofi shrugged. "I just don't think you can suppress 10,000 years of instinct," she said. "A Smilodon is built to hunt. Getting it to ignore that urge and just accept a hand-given meal is going to be difficult."

"Well, we can't use live bait," said Abby.

"Then I hope it works," said Sofi.

Looking around as an engine cut out, Jayden noticed Valerie Irwin making her way over.

"Hey, got it fixed?" Stephen asked.

"What?" Valerie asked.

"The van."

Valerie looked back behind her and then nodded. "It seems to be working fine now," she said.

Sofi furrowed her brow at the older woman.

"What are you doing here?" Valerie asked.

"We're just working out where to lay traps," Nick answered.

Sofi watched as Valerie's posture shifted. Suddenly, instead of curious, she looked really scared.

"No, don't worry, we'll leave the place looking as good as new," Nick said, quickly.

Valerie forced a laugh. "Surely you should be looking by the railway," she said.

"No, it won't stay there," said Nick, shaking his head. "Too many people."

Obviously unhappy, Valerie spun on her heels and stormed back to her van. Stephen run after her.

Jayden gave a low whistle. "What's eating her?" he asked.

"I don't know," said Sofi. "But there's something off, definitely."

"Gut feeling?" Abby asked.

"Deep gut," Sofi confirmed. "Her whole posture changed when you mentioned that we would be laying traps, Nick. She suddenly became alarmed and then afraid."

"Afraid?" Abby repeated. "Of what? We promised to leave the place looking exactly the way it does now."

Sofi shook her head. "I don't think she's afraid of us ruining the park," she said. "I think she's afraid that we'll uncover something that we shouldn't. Before we went to get coffee, Stephen told me that Valerie was probing him last night for information. Personally, I think she knows more than she is letting on."

"I can run a background check on her," said Jayden. "It shouldn't take too long. I'll be back soon."

"I'll come with you," said Sofi. She looked at Nick. "Unless you need help laying the traps?"

Nick shook his head.

Sofi smiled and turned to Jayden.

"Alright then," said Jayden, taking his phone from his pocket. "Let's get crackin'."

Sofi laughed and followed him away from the others. They passed Stephen and Valerie on their way out. Valerie sounded hysterical as she got into her van and slammed the door shut.

As Valerie left, Stephen returned to the table and then ventured off with Abby and Nick to lay their first trap.

**~X~**

With more information on Valerie, Sofi and Jayden returned to the park and found Leek also there. Apparently, Nick had found a dead body buried in the walls of one of his traps and had been in the process of digging it out when the Smilodon had attacked.

"Savaged," Nick said, shaking his head. "He's virtually cut in half."

"How long's he been here?" Abby asked.

"I don't know, about a week, a month, maybe," Nick answered.

"If the body's been there that long then the anomaly could've formed before the detector came online which would mean there's nothing wrong with it," said Connor.

Stephen and Sofi nodded.

"There's one problem. The sabre-tooth may well have killed the guy but it sure as hell didn't dig a trench 10 feet deep and bury his body," said Nick, pointing out the obvious.

"Someone knows. Someone's been protecting it," said Abby.

"West," said Leek.

"What?" Nick asked.

"Jenny needed someone to pin an escaped lion story onto and she said this man West fitted the bill," said Leek. "She wanted to create a cover story for the press."

Sofi cocked her head to the side. "So, she's going to blame, possibly an innocent man for a crime he didn't commit?" she asked. "How is that fair?"

"We need a cover story," said Leek with a shrug.

"There are other stories that we could use."

"Where is Jenny now?" Nick asked.

"She left half an hour ago," Leek answered.

Nick turned to Sofi. "What did you find out about Valerie?" he asked.

Sofi opened the file in her hands. "She used to have a live-in boyfriend called Dave," she said. "But about a month ago, Dave disappeared. There's no forwarding address, no next of kin, nothing to tell us where he has gone. It's like he just vanished."

"Wait, you're investigating Valerie?" Stephen asked. "Why? Do you think she's involved?"

"Not necessarily," said Sofi. "But, I do think she's a person of interest."

Stephen looked like he wanted to argue in Valerie's defence, but Nick interrupted for the situation got too far out of hand. "Let's focus on what we know at the moment," he said. "Stephen, take Abby and Connor to the West farm and prove Jenny with backup. I'll stay here in case he comes back."

Stephen nodded and headed back to the cars with Connor and Abby in tow. While the trio left, Nick turned to Sofi.

"You know it's not West," said Sofi.

"We don't know anything right now, Sof," said Nick, shaking his head. "It's good that you have a theory. But what is it you always say about theories?"

"They're not fact unless you have proof to back them up," Sofi grumbled.

"Exactly. So, go find me some proof."

Sofi stared at Nick for a second longer before heading back to her car with Jayden.

**~X~**

" _Sofi, what have you found out?_ "

"Nothing much. We spoke to Dave's mother, and she said that he and Valerie were having issues regarding a new pet that Valerie had found."

" _Did she say what kind of pet?_ "

"No. Only that the last time she spoke to Dave he was scared of what Valerie was considering. He told his mother that she had become paranoid and was saying things like 'they're going to come looking for him'."

" _What if she thinks the Sabre-Tooth is a science experiment?_ "

Sofi considered the suggestion. "It would explain why she is so paranoid about him being found out," she said. "And why she was scared earlier when we mentioned traps. She's trying to protect it from us, maybe even stop us from taking it back."

"Hang on, rewind," Jayden interrupted. "Are we really considering that Valerie let the Sabre-Tooth kill her boyfriend?"

"Maybe not exactly," said Sofi. "It's like I said earlier - this creature has 10,000 years worth of instinct. It wants to hunt, not be hand-fed food. If Valerie found it at a certain age in its development, say as a cub, she would've raised it like a regular cub, with hand-fed food. But every domestic animal is still a wild one, it wouldn't take much for the instinct to hunt and kill to kick back in."

Jayden nodded.

" _I just found a wallet,_ " said Nick. " _It has a picture of Valerie and a young man in it, I think it might be Dave._ "

"What do you want me to do?" Sofi asked.

" _Call Stephen and bring him up to speed,_ " said Nick. " _Then meet me at Valerie's place. We have to find and stop the Sabre-Tooth before it can kill again._ "

"Do you really think Valerie is going to let us kill this thing?" Jayden asked.

"Then we don't give her a choice," said Sofi. "I know I've been adamant about putting these creatures back where they belong, especially those from the past, but we can't be sure that the anomaly is ever going to reopen, and we can't take the chance with this creature being kept alive. We have to kill it."

Jayden nodded.

"Nick?"

" _I'll see you soon,_ " said Nick.

"Be careful."

**~X~**

"VALERIE!"

"Shoot it!"

Both Stephen and Jayden fired their tranq guns at the Smilodon, embedding two darts into its side. It whined and then landed with a thud on the ground beside the bloodied mess of its faithful human protector.

Stephen rushed forward to help, only to stop and turn away, his hand over his mouth. The scene was not a pretty one. Valerie had been completely mauled me the Sabre-Tooth, her body was shredded from its claws, and huge chunks had been removed from her flesh. She was almost unrecognisable.

Nick clutched the rake he had been using to defend himself tightly. He rested his forehead against it, his breathing ragged from trying to flee the predator. He looked up as Sofi touched his shoulder, and offered her a weary smile.

"This should never have happened," Stephen murmured. "We could've saved her."

"I tried," Nick said, his voice thick with emotion.

"How many more Valerie's are there going to be before we start telling people the truth?" Stephen asked.

"How many more Valerie's are there going to be  _if_  we start telling people the truth?" Sofi rebuffed. She still didn't believe in telling the public the truth. It was their ignorance that kept them safe.

Once again, Stephen looked argumentative.

"You said something to her," Nick said, looking accusingly at Stephen. "Something that made her think we were to blame."

"No. I didn't say anything," said Stephen, shaking his head. "But I wish I had."

"It wouldn't have changed anything," Sofi said. "You could've told her everything, but she still wouldn't have believed you."

"You don't know that!" Stephen snapped.

Silence fell.

Sofi stared at Stephen while he merely glared back.

Then, with a huff, Stephen turned away from the teenager and stormed back towards the others. He handed his shotgun to Connor and retreated back to the jeep.

**~X~**

After a long day, Sofi sat in the chair beside Ryan's bed. He was still in a coma and showed no signs of awakening just yet.

"Hey."

Looking up, Sofi smiled as Sam opened the door and stepped inside. "Hey, you now starting your shift?" she asked.

"Yeah. It's a long one tonight, too," Sam said. "How about you?"

"Just finished one, actually," Sofi answered. "Another long one."

"I heard. Blue Sky Park safe from any anomalies or Sabre-Toothed predators?"

Sofi smiled and shrugged. "I can't speak for the anomalies, we've seen them reopen before," she said. "But the Sabre-Tooth should be at the ARC right now."

"I'm surprised you aren't there."

"How come?"

"This is your chance to study such an amazing creature up close," said Sam. "I thought you'd jump at the chance."

Sofi smiled and glanced back at Ryan. "I guess things have changed," she said, returning her attention to Sam.

"Mhm. Indeed they have," Sam said, smiling.

A comfortable silence fell between the two friends, only to be broken by the opening of the door as Jayden stepped inside. He smiled at Sam and then turned his attention to Sofi.

"What?" Sofi asked, recognising the look on his face.

"I just got a call from the ARC," Jayden answered.

Sofi shook her head. "If you tell me there's another anomaly then I'm calling in sick," she said.

"There's always another anomaly," said Jayden. "But, actually, this was a call from the lab. The Sabre-Tooth's been destroyed."

"What? Why?" Sofi asked.

"Apparently it died whilst being transported back to the ARC."

"That's impossible! It was a perfectly healthy animal!"

Jayden nodded. "Leek seems to think that Abby overestimated the tranquiliser dosage," he said.

"No way. Not a chance!" Sofi said, shaking her head vigorously. "Abby knows exactly what she is doing. Besides, the Raptors were hit with three dosages of Ketamine and they survived long enough to attack Stephen. The Sabre-Tooth was hit with less than that."

Sam placed a hand calmly on Sofi's shoulder. "We're not blaming Abby," she said. "We know she knows what she is doing."

"Leek  _is_  blaming Abby!" Sofi argued. "The squirrely little bastard."

Sam and Jayden shared an amused look.

"I always knew you didn't like him," Sam said.

"Of course I don't like him!" Sofi cried. "He's hiding something, and it's annoying me that I can't figure out what it is."

"Your superpower not working on him?" Jayden teased.

Sofi shot him an annoyed look which only caused Jayden to start laughing.

"You know? You're cute when you're angry," Jayden teased. "I can see why the Captain likes you so much."

"Shut up," Sofi grumbled. She turned her attention back to Ryan and sighed. "Today has just gone from bad to worse."

Jayden took out his phone as it started beeping. "Unfortunately, it's going to get even more worse," he said.

"Please don't say it," Sofi grumbled.

"Sorry. Anomaly alert."

Sofi groaned, tiredly.


	10. Underwater Menace

 

 

 

 

 

 

"The boy's name was Lucien Hope. His friends said he seemed to be struggling with something."

Sofi frowned and looked over her shoulder at the basketball court. "They saw him struggling and calling for help, but chose not to intervene?" she asked.

"They thought he was messing around," Jenny replied.

"Did they seen anything?" Nick asked.

"No."

"He could've just lost his footing," Stephen suggested.

"No, this lid's been lifted clean off," said Nick, motioning to the storm drain's cover.

"Water pressure?" Jenny asked.

"Could be," Nick nodded. "But the rainfalls been below average for the month, and floods don't happen for no reason."

"Besides, even if there was a flood, the water wouldn't have drained out this fast," said Sofi.

"It could've receded back into the canal," said Stephen.

"It would've gone into the canal before it made its way further up the storm drains," said Sofi. "The only reason it would come up this far is if there is a block somewhere along with the system. There obviously isn't or we'd see more water than we do now."

Stephen sighed.

"There's only one possible explanation," said Cutter. "The anomaly is underwater."

"Wouldn't be the first time," Sofi muttered.

"What do you want me to do?" Jenny asked.

Cutter looked from Stephen to Sofi and then up at Jenny. "Seal off the tunnel exit and tell Abby and Connor to meet us at the other end," he said.

"Okay," Jenny nodded. She walked away, her shoes squelching in the muddy grass.

Stephen looked up from the dark storm drain. "Do you think he's still alive?" he asked.

"I don't know," Nick admitted. "But I'm not giving up on him until I know for sure."

"We're going down there, aren't we?" Sofi asked, peering over the edge.

"You don't have too," said Nick. "You can meet us at the canal."

Sofi considered her options and then took a deep breath. "No, I'll be okay," she said. "But, someone's going to have to catch me from below, I'm not tall enough to make the jump without stability."

"Must suck to be so short," Stephen teased.

Sofi stuck her tongue out at him.

Stephen chuckled and placed his hands on either side of the storm drain. He balanced himself carefully over the hole, lowering himself down and then letting go; he landed on his feet and stumbled slightly with the momentum.

"You're tun," said Nick, turning to Sofi.

Copying Stephen's approach, Sofi lowered herself into the storm drain and then let go. She squeaked as she fell into the darkness and gasped as her feet slammed into the concrete floor, she toppled forward into Stephen causing him to wrap his arms around her to steady her.

"You alright?" Stephen asked.

Sofi nodded numbly. Her legs ached from the impact her feet had made with the floor, and she felt slightly dizzy.

Nick landed beside the pair of them and clicked on his flashlight, illuminating the underground caverns with a single small beam of light.

Stephen and Sofi followed his lead and soon they were able to see the path in front of them. It was simply a small ledge running alongside the sewage system. As they followed the path, it opened up onto a huge underground network of tunnels, each one connected by different walkways.

"Do you hear that?" Sofi whispered, pausing and straining to hear, what she could only describe as a whale-like song in the distance. The sound was echoing from everywhere, making it impossible for her to detect exactly which tunnel it was coming from.

"What the hell is that?" Stephen asked. "Lucien?"

The singing continued.

"That's not human," said Sofi.

There was a crash from nearby and Cutter swung his torch around to try and see what had made the noise. A shadow flickered across the wall, evading the torchlight, but nothing and no one stepped out of the shadows.

"Lucien!" Stephen called, running in the direction of the noise.

Sofi and Nick followed, reaching Stephen just as something dove into the water leading to the canal. It made an almighty splash, whatever it was.

"Did you see what it was?" Sofi asked Stephen.

He shook his head.

"Come on," Cutter whispered. He led the pair through the metal grate, towards the water's edge, and back along the pathway towards the tunnels. "It can only get out into the canal from here."

**~X~**

Racing along the dock, Sofi stopped as she reached Abby's side, while Cutter headed further along and stopped at the edge. He looked around the vast water space and then turned back.

"Abby, is there any way out of this canal?" Nick asked.

"Locks have been closed," Abby answered. "It's completely sealed."

"Then it's still in here."

"What is?" Connor asked.

Nick shook his head. "We're not sure," he said. "But we have to find out fast. It's going to be dark in a few hours. Jenny, go in that boat with Abby and Connor. You see anything, call us. Sofi, you're with me and Stephen in this one. Let's go."

Sofi turned to Abby, shrugged once and stepped off the dock and into the first boat. It bobbed beneath her feet but she managed to stay standing as it sped across the water's surface.

"Miss?"

Sofi turned to the driver and smiled. She recognised him as one of Ryan's soldiers. "Sofi," she said.

"Miss Sofi," the driver said.

"Just Sofi."

The driver nodded. "You're close with the Captain, aren't you?" he asked. "I mean, you're always at the hospital with him?"

"Yeah, I guess so," Sofi said, nodding.

"I was just wondering if there was any news on his condition?"

Sofi bit her lip and lowered her gaze. Neither she, Jayden, Sam, nor Graham had been forthcoming with Ryan's condition to the rest of the team, mainly because they weren't entirely sure themselves. He was stable, for now, but still in a coma. How was she supposed to explain that to his men?

"Miss?" the driver repeated.

"There's no change at the given time," said Sofi. "I'm sure, once we have more information, Graham will tell you what's happening."

The driver stared at Sofi. "The Captain is a great man, Miss," he said, proudly.

"I know," Sofi said, nodding.

The driver nodded and looked away, although he continued to steal glances at Sofi from the corner of his eye.

As the sun started to set, Sofi settled into the side of the boat, looking over the edge for any signs of movement beneath the surface. She was aware of Stephen and Nick discussing the task at the front of the boat but tuned them out as she focused on her task.

Something caught her eye, a flicker of paper, maybe, in the distance, and she pulled back.

"What's that?" Sofi asked, pointing at something to the left of them.

Stephen grabbed a pole from under the side seat and reached into the water, fishing out the unsuspecting sheet that Sofi had spotted. It looked like water-logged yellow paper, but up close it was anything but. It felt leathery, and it squished under their fingers. It also had various holes and tears in it.

"I think it's skin," said Sofi, threading a corner piece between her fingers.

"Like from a mammal?" Stephen asked.

Sofi nodded.

"Looks like whatever it is just shrugged it off," said Nick.

The sound of a distance splash caused Sofi to look around. Her eyes widening as she saw, what appeared to be a fin, sticking out of the water and heading directly towards the second boat.

"Uh, guys?" Sofi said, pointing the fin out to Stephen and Cutter.

"It's heading for the other boat," said the driver.

"Quickly!" said Nick, directing the driver towards the others. As they got closer, Sofi's breath caught in her throat as she realised that Jenny was actually in the water, desperately trying to get back to the safety of her boat.

Cutting across the second boat, Cutter leaned over the side and reached for Jenny, pulling her up into the safety of their boat as Stephen unleashed a barrage of bullets onto the still descending creature. Blood dyed the water crimson, and the creature, whatever it was, started to slow down before eventually stopping.

"Yeah! Go, Stephen!" Abby cheered.

"Better late than never!" Connor laughed.

Sofi looked over at the driver of her boat. "We need to get the body back to the ARC, as soon as possible," she said.

The driver nodded and radioed in the request.

" _Roger that,_ " came the reply.

Returning to the dock, Stephen wrapped a blanket around a drenched Jenny and led her back towards the car. Abby and Connor followed, each one marveling over the skin that Sofi had found.

Pausing at the edge of the docks, Sofi looked back out over the water. It was still and reflected the moonlight calmly.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Nick asked.

"I'm afraid my thoughts won't make much sense, right now," Sofi replied.

Nick nodded and placed his hand on her shoulder. "Come on," he said, turning her away from the water. "Let's go take a closer look at our catch."

Taking one last look around the canal, Sofi followed Nick back to the cars.

**~X~**

The ARC was eerily silent.

The SAS had managed to drag the creature's body out of the canal and returned it to the main ops room. It hung, by its tail, from the poles of a JCB tractor. It's head just barely brushing the floor.

Sofi sat at a vacant desk, staring at the creature. She was pretty sure she was staring at the massive corpse of a shark. But it was nothing like the sharks of the present day. It could've been a prehistoric one, but then, the creature looked nothing like how a Megalodon had been described.

"Hey," said Abby, walking over and leaning against the desk. She looked from Sofi to the Shark, and back again. "Do you think this is what took Lucien?"

"I don't know," Sofi answered.

"What a terrible way to die! Poor kid."

"He may have got lucky," said Sofi. "We need to be sure."

Nick approached from the ramp, he had been checking on Jenny and was now making his way back to the team. He knelt beside the shark's gaping mouth, braced one hand against it's lower jaw and then reached inside.

Connor made a face and turned away.

"Now, wait a minute," Nick whispered, his face taking on a look of surprise as he felt something. There was a squelch and suddenly a tongue dropped out of the mouth, landing on the floor with a thud.

Sofi's eyes widened and she crept a little closer. The tongue was thick and pink, but what had caught her attention was the fact that it was forked and seemed to have little tiny bumps all along with it.

"It's some kind of proboscis," Abby said, leaning closer.

"This is a tongue covered with teeth," said Nick. "Which is probably used to grab its victims, and then pull them into his mouth. Unless I miss my guess, I'd say we're looking at the future evolution of a shark."

Sofi raked her eyes over the massive creature. "While I do not want to see why an apex predator has to change, I kind of am curious," she said.

"Everything changes," said Abby.

"Not sharks," said Sofi, shaking her head. "They've been the same since they first evolved 450 million years ago. They don't need to change, they're already efficient killing machines. The only reason they would evolve is if another predator appeared and started to pick them off."

Nick run his hand across the jaw of the shark and then looked up at Abby. "Let's get this done," he said. "We are going to have to cut it open."

While Nick prepared for the shark autopsy, Stephen headed to the armoury and returned later with a knife sharp enough to pierce the Shark's hide. He handed it to Nick, as he removed his wristwatch and turned back to the task at hand.

Pressing his thumb against the bottom of the knife's handle, Nick stabbed it into the stomach of the shark and pulled it down, shredding the muscle and skin and separating it. The stench was horrendous.

"Wow, that's strong," Nick said, turning his head away.

Sofi used her hand to block her mouth and nose. She was well aware that a human's sense of smell was the weakest out of the five senses, and the more she continued to breathe normally the smell would get easier to handle.

Carefully peeling back the stomach walls, Nick reached inside and felt around. He pulled his hand free, dropping a baseball onto the floor and allowing it to bounce away before he pulled a shoe-free and dropped it onto the floor.

Nick gasped and pulled back. "No, there's nothing else left in the stomach," he said.

"It's not him," said Stephen. "He can't have been digested by now."

"Exactly. It takes days for a shark to digest its prey," Abby confirmed. "Lucien, he went missing hours ago."

"So, not guilty," said Nick, breathing heavily.

"So, it was another one," said Abby.

Sofi stared at the shark. Her head reeling from the amount of information she had just downloaded. "Maybe," she said.

Once Nick had dismissed Abby and Connor, sending them home, he led Stephen and Sofi up to Lester's office to debrief him on the current case.

"Give me some good news," said Lester, pacing behind his chair.

"We still haven't found the boy," Nick said.

"No, that's bad news," said Lester, without looking at them. "Good news makes people happy. Keep trying."

Sofi glanced at Nick. "We found the shark," she said.

"See, she gets it," said Lester, grinning and pointing at Sofi. "So then... problem solved?"

"No, not quite," said Nick, shaking his head. "There's another predator. Abby saw something."

"Another shark," said Stephen, quickly.

"No. I don't think so," said Sofi. "The skin we found, it didn't come from a shark. They have scales. I think the creature we're looking for could be the future evolution of a seal or walrus, something mammalian. Besides, Lucien was taken from above ground. Even if the shark was able to swim up the flooded drain, which, given the size of it, is an impossible feat, how did it grab him?"

"It used that proboscis," said Stephen.

"But that wouldn't explain the singing," said Nick. "A shark can't make that sound. It doesn't have any vocal cords."

"So, to sum it up then. We are looking for a deadly, skin shedding aquatic predator with a neat line in Charlotte Church impressions," said Lester, folding his arms and pacing behind his desk. "Well, the marketing possibilities are endless. What do we do?"

"Drag the canal," said Stephen, before anyone had a chance. "Whatever it is, it's got to be in there."

But Sofi was shaking her head.

"You disagree?" Lester asked her.

"Of course she does," Stephen muttered.

Sofi glared at him. "If we're looking for a mammal, it can leave the water," she said. "So, I think we should widen the search."

Lester looked around at the trio. He then took a deep breath and point at Stephen. "Start the search at the canal again in the morning," he said. "If nothing turns up, then, and only then, we'll consider the options."

Turning on the spot, Sofi brushed past Stephen and walked out of the office. She headed down the ramp, through the double doors and towards her lab. It was the last door on the main corridor leading in and out of the ARC.

They were looking in the wrong place, and she was going to prove it.

**~X~**

The next morning, Sofi arrived at the docks earlier than the rest of the team. She hadn't gone home the previous evening from the ARC, choosing to spend her time researching and proving that it wasn't a shark that had attacked and, possibly killed Lucien.

Her theory was that if they were dealing with a future version of a shark, and that it had to evolve in order to adapt to its new surroundings, then that meant there was another fearsome predator readily available to take them out.

For most of the night, she searched shark anatomy and hunting strategies, focusing mainly on that of a Bull shark. Most people would question why she didn't focus on a White shark, seeing as they were the species that plagued people's nightmares the most, but from what she had seen, the shark that had attacked Jenny didn't attempt to dive down and attack from below, it just made a streamline for the helpless woman.

Whereas the Bull shark was more inept too, what marine biologists referred too as the 'bump-and-bite-' technique.

After analysing the information she had collected, and the skin that Nick had left in her possession, Sofi had come to the decision that the Bull Shark was more than likely the species that had evolved beyond all other sharks. The idea was terrifying.

The remainder of the night was then spent on trying to figure out what animal was more fearsome, a seal or a walrus, she ended up choosing the Walrus, seeing as its tusks were a lot deadlier than the whiskers of fur seals.

But how big would a Walrus have to get in order to be able to take out a shark? Sofi run the idea through her laptop, using a new app that she had downloaded to recreate shark on walrus attacks, and then just upped the antics until she got the results she was expecting.

The size of the future Walrus had to be gigantic in order to take out a newly evolved Bull shark with a tongue covered with teeth.

Armed with this new information, Sofi had left the ARC at 9am and made her way towards the canals. The others would be arriving soon to drag the waters, but what they were searching for wouldn't be in there. It would be found more upstream, somewhere that it had access to both water and land. Somewhere that it could swim to its heart's content, but also drag itself out of the way when danger arose.

Consulting her map, Sofi walked along the canal to the area where the storage containers were kept. As she walked, checking every now and again for a door or tunnel that would lead to underground passages, Sofi failed to notice that she was being followed.

However, the sound of crunching gravel caused her to stop around three quarters away from the dock. She paused, her heart hammering in her chest, as she strained her ears for more sounds. The sound had come from behind her.

Taking a deep breath, Sofi turned on the spot, her eyes scanning the area. But there was nothing there. Figuring that it was her lack of sleep that was playing with her senses, and making her paranoid, Sofi turned back to her task and found her path blocked by the burly figure of a soldier.

"What are you doing here?" Sofi asked.

Aaron Black chuckled and stepped closer. "What am I doing here?" he repeated. "What about you, Sofi? Why are you here?"

"I'm following a lead," Sofi answered. "Your turn."

"I'm following orders."

Sofi was about to ask what he meant when Aaron backhanded her across the face, hard. She yelped and stumbled into a green storage box, the metal rattling against her weight. She took a deep breath and looked up, her eyes watering and cheek still stinging from impact.

"He said you'd be a nuisance," Aaron said, towering over Sofi. "He knew you'd come here. But you should've waited for the team."

Who knew she would come here? Sofi's mind rattled through the endless possibilities of who Adam could've been talking about, but before she could come up with a single name her world went dark as something caught her in the back of her head, and she slumped onto the ground.

**~X~**

Sofi groaned and opened her eyes. Her whole body ached, almost like she had been thrown from a high point and left unconscious in this place. She noticed, in the dim lights, that the floor beneath her was wooden paneling, probably belong to a boat.

Carefully pushing herself into a sitting position, Sofi leant against the wall of the area and put a hand to her head. It was pounding and the pain was originating from the back of her temple. Then... it all came flooding back.

The soldier. The backhand. The pain... and then darkness.

Military officer, Aaron Black had done this to her. He had hit her, knocked her out and dumped her body in this boat. But why? What was his agenda? He had said he as working for someone, someone who knew Sofi, apparently quite well, or at least well enough to know what she had planned to do that morning.

The same eerie music that she had heard in the passages of the underground sewage system echoed from the other side of the boat. Sofi froze in place, her head turning and pressing an ear against the hull of the ship. She closed her eyes, listening to the strange, yet relaxing music. It seemed to soothe her migraine.

Suddenly the boat tilted to one side and footsteps echoed from upstairs. Sofi looked up, her eyes were drawn to the ladder and the small opening leading out. She unsteadily got to her feet, and stumbled over, taking great care to ease herself over the metal barrier before she reached the bottom of the metallic ladder.

She climbed up and up, taking one step at a time, before reaching the fresh air of the marina. She looked around, taking in the rundown boat that she had been deposited on. It was docked at dock four and overlooked the vast waterway, connecting the boat marina to the canal.

The boat jolted again, and Sofi looked around just in time to see a soldier throwing himself off the side. He hit the dock running, and took off down towards the canal. She frowned as she wondered why the hell Lester had sent soldiers to investigate the marina when he was intent on searching the canal.

"Sofi?"

Sofi looked around and her confusion sunk deeper. "Nick?" she asked.

"What are you doing here?" Nick asked. He walked over and helped Sofi down, leading her off the boat and back onto the dock. It was then he noticed the bruise forming on her cheek and face. "What happened to you?"

Sofi pulled back as he run his finger across the bruise. It may have been a soft touch, but it was still painful. "Aaron Black hit me," she said. "I think he may have knocked me out, too."

"Aaron Black?"

"SAS Officer," said Sofi. "Who were you just chasing?"

Nick shook his head. "It wasn't Black," he said. "It was the cleaner. The one from the Mall."

Sofi blinked. "The cleaner?" she repeated. "Why was he dressed as a SAS officer?"

"I don't know," said Nick. "Something strange is going on."

"Tell me about it," Sofi muttered. She paused and then looked back at Nick. "What are you doing out here, anyway? I thought you'd be with Stephen dragging the canal."

Nick nodded. "Supposed to be," he said. "But I had a feeling that something over here needed to be checked. I'm guessing you had the same feeling?"

"I've been here since 9am," said Sofi. "I didn't go home last night. I was too preoccupied with figuring out what took Lucien that I stayed at the ARC. It's not a shark, Nick, the creature we're looking for. I think it may be a Walrus, only bigger."

Nick stared at Sofi.

"I know what you're thinking, and I'm not crazy."

"I would never call you crazy," said Nick. "I agree that we aren't searching for a shark."

Sofi nodded. "I heard that music again, too," she said. "It's here, somewhere in the marina. We need to find it."

"How?"

Sofi led Nick back to her car and opened the boot. "I took these from the ARC this morning," she said, setting a recorder and microphone on the dock. "I think, like modern-day dolphins and whales, if we record the sounds we are hearing and then play them back, we can bring whatever is making the noise directly too us."

"That's dangerous," said Nick. "We don't know what we are dealing with."

"I know. But it's the only option we've got."

Nick considered the move for a few minutes before nodding is approval. "Alright. But we can't do this alone," he said.

"Connor and Abby?"

"I'll call them."

**~X~**

Twenty minutes later, once Connor and Abby had arrived and Sofi had finished setting up, Nick lowered a water-proof microphone into the marina and hit record on the recorder. The wheels started spinning, imprinting the sounds that the microphone was picking up underwater.

"Are you sure it was Aaron Black that hit you?" Abby asked. She had been checking over Sofi's injuries, making sure that there would be no lasting damage.

Sofi nodded and tentatively touched her face. It wasn't hurting as much now as it had been when she first woke up. "I don't know what I have ever done to him," she said. "But he has always had it in for me."

"People are strange," Abby murmured.

"Speaking of hitting people," said Connor, looking at Nick. "What if the guy that hit  _you_  comes back?"

"He won't," said Nick. "I've seen him before."

"You have?" Abby asked, stunned.

"Where?" asked Connor.

"Remember the Cleaner from the Mall?" Sofi asked. "It's him."

Connor's eyes widened in realization. "Was he dressed as a soldier?" he asked.

Nick nodded.

"I've seen him, too," Connor explained. "He was at the ARC."

"Do you think he was with Aaron?" Abby asked Sofi.

"I didn't see the Cleaner when I run into Aaron," said Sofi. "But Aaron did say that the person he was working for knew that I would come here."

"Are you trying to say that someone is watching you?"

Sofi shrugged. "Me? Us? Who knows," she said, looking out over the water. "But if someone is spying on us, I want to know who."

"And why," said Nick.

Sofi nodded.

As Nick returned to listening to the sounds beneath the surface, Abby sighed and glanced around. "If we're being watched then we should get Stephen," she said. "He needs to know."

"We'll get to Stephen," said Sofi.

"Are you recording this?" Nick asked Connor. He nodded.

"What does it sound like?" Sofi asked.

"Don't know," Connor replied, shaking his head. "But like something I once heard in Glastonbury in a chill-out tent."

"Glastonbury," Abby scoffed. "Like you've ever been to Glastonbury."

"How would you know?" Connor snapped.

Sofi frowned at the pair of them.

"Look, what is going on with the pair of you?" Nick snapped, looking up suddenly.

"Connor's dating Cruella de Vil," Abby hissed.

Connor stood, quickly. "Oh, for crying out loud. It was an accident. How many times do I..." he cut off as Nick told him to shut up.

Sofi looked between her two friends. She had heard of couples having a lover's fight, but Abby and Connor weren't even  _in_  a relationship.

After a few more tense seconds, Nick lowered his headphones. "All right. Grab those recordings and let's get back in the boat," he said.

Connor did as instructed and Abby and Sofi jumped into the speedboat that was tethered to the dock. Once everyone was aboard, they headed out into the open marina and lowered the microphone over the side.

Sofi played back the recording and stared down into the murky water, waiting to see if her hypothesis was right.

"What are we even doing?" Abby asked.

"We're trying to invite whatever is in here to come and see us," said Sofi. "Can you check the other side of the boat for me, Abby, please?"

Abby made brief eye contact with Connor before turning away. She knelt at the starboard side of the boat and peered into the water. Her breathing hitched and suddenly she pulled back in alarm.

"Guys...?" Abby said, unsure.

Nick, Connor, and Sofi looked around.

Abby then shook her head. "Nevermind. It's nothing," she said.

"Are you sure?" Sofi asked.

"Yep. Mind's playing tricks on me," said Abby. She knelt back at the side of the boat and resumed looking.

Sofi stared at her friend for a second longer before doing the same.

After ten minutes of nothing, Connor stood, rocking the boat in his boredom and frustration. "Maybe no-one's home, eh?" he asked. "I think this is silly. We should be back helping Stephen search the canal, Cutter."

"If you want to go help Stephen then do it," said Sofi. "But you're looking in the wrong place."

"How do you know?"

"When have I ever been wrong?"

Connor huffed and looked like he was ready to argue, but a roar, followed by a gasp and splash caused him to stop and look around. Abby wasn't on the boat anymore.

"Abby!" Connor yelled. Floating just near where Abby had been looking, was her life-jacket. "Something's taken her! Abby!" In his desperation, he grabbed a spear-gun.

"Put that down!" Nick told him. "You'll kill Abby."

"I can't see her!" Sofi said.

Shrugging out of his jacket, Nick dived overboard. He returned to the surface after a minute and turned his attention to Sofi and Connor. "Get help!" he told them.

Connor hesitated.

"Now!"

Sliding past Connor, Sofi took control of the boat and steered them back to shore.

**~X~**

Almost an hour later the marina was covered in military speedboats, while divers had been deployed to search beneath the surface. There was only one job that they had, and that was to find Abby.

Standing on the dock, Sofi watched as Nick, Stephen and Connor tried their hardest to point Graham and his men in the right direction. They had already covered the area where Abby had initially been taken, but the marina was a massive terrain of water, she could've been anywhere by now, and without her life-jacket -

Sofi shook the thought from her head. Abby wasn't dead. She couldn't have been.

"No, no. What are you doing? We have to..." Connor's voice pulled Sofi from her thoughts. She turned and spotted Nick and Stephen heading towards her from one end of the dock, while Connor came from the other. "We have to keep looking. We can't... We can't just stop. This is Abby we are talking about. We can't just give up, right?"

When no one replied or said anything, his fear turned to anger and he pushed past them towards the boats.

"I'm not stopping looking for her!" Connor yelled.

"Connor, Connor, Connor, Connor," Stephen said, trying to calm him. "We are doing everything we can."

Sofi felt her heart constrict at the tears on Connor's face. She knew what it was like to lose someone you had deep feelings for, possibly even loved, and could only stand by and do nothing when they were in trouble.

"We told them to get help," Connor continued his attention now on Nick and Sofi. In his mind, this was their fault. "But they wouldn't even go. You wouldn't even go and get help. Why? Why didn't you get help?"

Sofi tore her gaze away from Connor. He was right. This had been her idea, and while she hadn't meant for anyone of her friends to get hurt, she had caused Abby's disappearance. If she had only gone and got help then maybe Abby would've still been with them.

"How did this happen?" Lester asked, arriving with Jenny and Leek.

"I was following up a lead," said Nick.

"It's my fault," Sofi added, quickly.

Everyone turned to face her.

"Sofi," Nick warned.

"No, Nick, I'm not going to let you take the blame for this," said Sofi. She took a deep breath and turned back to Lester. "The lead was mine. I got here early this morning to try and find the creature we're looking for. I don't believe it's in the canal."

Lester considered her for a few moments and then looked back at Nick. "Do you have anything to add?" he asked.

Nick remained silent.

"Great. Who did you tell about your little adventure, Miss Wyatt?" Lester asked.

"No one," said Sofi.

"So, you went against my orders?"

Sofi nodded.

"And now the girl's dead."

Connor whipped around. "She's not dead! She's not dead!" he cried. "We could just go out there and we can find her. All we need to do is get back in the boat and do something. Why is nobody doing anything?"

"Take him home," Lester told Jenny.

"Please," Connor pleaded, desperately. "Don't do this. Cutter, Sofi, please?"

Sofi avoided Connor's gaze as Jenny led him away, accompanied by a single officer.

Lester fixated Sofi with another look of disapproval. "You know, Miss Wyatt, I've always viewed you as a smart girl," he said. "Smart enough to know when to be a team player."

"I take full responsibilities for my actions," said Sofi. "Abby was an unforeseen consequence, and I'm sorry."

"Sorry doesn't change the outcome."

"I'm aware of that," said Sofi. "But it's out there, and you're looking in the wrong place. You don't need to be dragging the canal, your efforts would be better off spent here at the marina. Trust me."

"I trust you," said Lester, sarcastically. "I  _trust_  that you're aware that your ideas are no longer required. Go home."

Despite knowing that her termination was coming, Sofi still felt her heart stop. This job was all she had. What would she do without it?

"Wait a minute," said Nick, intervene. "She's still needed. It's Sofi's theories and ideas that have gotten us this far. I take full responsibilities for her actions, as it was me that put her on this path."

"Stop it, Nick, I'm a big girl."

"No, Sofi, this wasn't your fault."

Lester pinched the bridge of his nose. "If it makes you feel any better, I can terminate the both of you," he said. "You," he turned to Cutter, "for inciting a decision I had not signed off on, and you," he turned to Sofi, "for following orders that were not mine."

Sofi rolled her eyes. "You're just looking for a reason to get rid of us, now," she said. "It was my choice to come here. I made the conscious decision to not tell the team of my findings until I was absolutely sure. But you can't blame anyone else but me."

"Actually, you'll find that I can," said Lester. "Because, after you told Cutter about your findings he had a duty to report them to me. He didn't. Why, do you ask? Because he believes in you." He looked back at Cutter. "And it is on those grounds that, he too, is fired."

Nick didn't respond.

"You're in charge," Lester continued, turning to Stephen.

Stephen hesitated and glanced at Nick. It was clear this is not what he had been expecting when he turned up for work this morning.

"Oh, don't look at him, look at me!" Lester said. "Come on, what do you want?"

"Something better than sonar," said Stephen. "We have to go over every inch of the canal again. A remote control submarine could do it."

Lester turned to Leek. The small man nodded and set off.

"For the hundredth and final time," Sofi groaned. "You're looking in the wrong place."

"Do you agree?" Lester asked Stephen.

Stephen considered both Nick and Sofi before shaking his head. "No," he said.

"Obviously," Sofi muttered before storming off. She reached her car, and, without looking back sped away from the Marina.

**~X~**

Sofi wasn't sure where to go. She didn't want to go home, as she knew she would just sit and seethe. She had to do something productive, something that didn't leave her alone with her thoughts. Without a plan in mind, Sofi drove and suddenly found herself at the hospital. It wasn't an ideal setting, as here, while she was surrounded by other patients, she was still alone. Sam was working today, but she was a busy surgeon and therefore didn't have time to just sit around and talk.

Then there was Ryan. He was still in a coma, so it wasn't like he was able to tell Sofi how badly she had screwed up or how to fix the situation. But still, she had come here. Maybe because, right now, the hospital was the only place she had any comfort. Here she had people she could trust, people who understood why she had done what she did, but also it held people she knew wouldn't judge her for her stupid actions.

"Hey, what are you doing here?"

Sofi blinked and looked up. She had pushed open the door to Ryan's room and was surprised to find Jayden and Sam standing either side of his bed. She was more surprised to find Jayden than Sam, especially since today was supposed to be his day off.

"What am I doing here? What are you doing here?" Sofi asked. "I thought you were visiting your family today?"

"I was," Jayden said. "Urgent call from the ARC. I'm needed at the canal. I was just about to message you and ask you for a status update. What's going on?"

Sofi shook her head and tears welled in her eyes.

"Sofi, what happened?" Sam asked.

"I screwed up," Sofi answered.

Sam and Jayden shared a look.

"What do you mean?" they asked.

Sofi took a deep breath and explained everything that she had done. When she was finished, the tears were falling freely down her face. "And now I'm out of a job," she sobbed.

"Oh, honey," Sam said, drawing her friend into a hug. There was nothing she could actually say that would make this any better, and she knew that Sofi didn't need someone preaching her to her right now.

Sofi sobbed into Sam's shoulder.

"Hey, I'm heading over to the canal right now," said Jayden. "Maybe I can talk to Lester. Get him to see sense."

Sofi shook her head. "There's nothing you can say that will get him to change his mind," she said. "I broke protocol and went against his orders. As far as he is concerned now, I'm a loose cannon."

Jayden stepped down. "Then what do you want me to do?" he asked.

"Your job," said Sofi. "Don't make me the reason a second person loses their job today. I already feel guilty that I cost Abby her life, and Nick's lost his job, too. I don't need to add you to the mix, Jayden."

Jayden nodded and hugged Sofi tightly. "Hey, we'll figure something out, alright?" he asked. "I mean, there is still time for them to realise that you are right. I don't understand why they're being so stubborn in believing you're wrong."

"I agree," said Sam. "If there is evidence that they're looking in the wrong place then they deserve to chase their tails. They'll see sense, Sof, and then they'll be begging for you to come back and help."

Sofi forced a watery smile. "Thanks, guys," she whispered.

Sam pressed a kiss to the side of Sofi's head, causing her to wince. The surgeon pulled back in alarm. "You're hurt!" she cried. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"Hurt? Where? How?" Jayden panicked.

"It's nothing, I'm fine!" said Sofi. "It's just a bruise."

Sam inspected the shape of the bruise. "It looks like a knuckle bruise," she said. "Did someone punch you?"

Jayden looked suddenly angry. "Tell me who did it, Sof," he said.

"You need to calm down," said Sofi, quickly.

"Then tell me who did it!"

"Not until you calm down!" Sofi argued. "I don't want you running off and doing something stupid like I did."

Jayden took a deep breath. "Fine," he said. "Sam, make sure she's alright. I'm going to head to the canal. When I get back, Sof, I want the whole story, okay?"

Sofi nodded and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Be careful," she warned.

Jayden nodded and headed out. Leaving the two friends alone.

Sofi breathed out and looked over at Ryan. So far nothing had changed. "I really need you right now," she told him.

"In the meantime," said Sam, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You've got me. Come on, spill."

Sofi closed her eyes and then started to relay everything from this morning, leading up to Abby being taken.

**~X~**

After some time, Sam left Sofi to finish her rounds. Sofi sat in the chair beside Ryan's bed, her head resting to the side and her eyes closed. She wasn't asleep, but she was just thinking over her actions and the consequences of the day that had passed. What would she do now? The ARC was all she knew, she had given everything to that place, and met some incredible people during her time there. What was she going to do without it?

How could she forget about all the things she had seen? All she had done - given the circumstances, that last one would've been a blessing right now. She wanted to forget that it was her actions that had cost Abby her life, her actions that had cost her a friend.

Sofi heaved a heavy sigh. Abby wasn't the first life she had lost due to her arrogance. She could remember telling Ryan that she had lost friends before because of her smarts, friends that thought they needed to be able to keep up with her high IQ; when in truth, she had lost them because she became arrogant when she knew she was right, and couldn't accept criticism.

"Sofi?"

A soft voice startled her, and Sofi looked up to see Nick standing behind her chair. She offered him a small smile and sat up, unfolding her legs from underneath her and then standing.

"How did you know I'd be here?" Sofi asked.

"Jayden told me."

Sofi nodded. She had forgotten that Jayden was heading to the canal. "Please tell me he didn't start," she worried.

"He didn't," said Nick. "But you can tell he is very angry, and rightly so. They had no right to fire you."

"Lester had every right," said Sofi. "I was in the wrong. I should have told you all what it was I was planning, I shouldn't have gone off on my own. I have the tendency to become arrogant when I know I am right."

"I guess that's why we get along so well," said Nick. "Kindred spirits, as they would say."

Sofi laughed softly.

Nick smiled.

"What do you need?" Sofi asked.

Nick held out a piece of paper. "Jenny gave me this before I left," he said.

Sofi unfolded the piece of paper. It was an address. "I don't understand," she said, shaking her head.

"I need your help, Sofi," said Nick. "This address has been flooded due to the tidal surge. It could be close to the anomaly site."

"And you think that is where the creatures are hiding?"

Nick nodded.

Sofi sighed and licked her lips. "I don't know, Nick," she said, uncertainly. "What if this just leads to more trouble? We're not a part of the ARC team anymore, we could be arrested for trespassing or interfering with a government operation."

"This time, I'll take full responsibility if we get caught," said Nick.

"That's not reassuring," Sofi said, but she hesitated in handing the scrap of paper back. She wanted, no, needed to know if she was right, and maybe this was her last chance of proving it.

"I'm not going to force you to do something you don't want to do," said Nick. "I can always call you later with the results."

Sofi shook her head. "You aren't going alone," she insisted. "I'll come... but we're going to need help."

"Oh? Do you have anyone in mind?"

Sofi looked thoughtful. "Matter of fact, I do," she said.

**~X~**

Once she had recruited Jayden and left a message for Connor, Sofi and Nick arrived at the address on the scrap of paper Jenny had given them. Jayden was waiting, having received the address in a text message from Sofi. He looked up as the two climbed down from Cutter's truck.

"You could get into a lot of trouble for this," Jayden said. "You know that?"

"I'm already in a lot of trouble," said Sofi. "Besides, I don't work for the ARC now. I can go where I please without worrying about their rules."

Jayden smirked. "If only the Captain could see you now," he said. "Do you think he'd be pleased or slightly turned on? I mean, your rebellious side is alluring. If I weren't gay and in a relationship -"

Sofi rolled her eyes and shoved him away. "Gross!" she cried.

Jayden laughed and ruffled her hair. "It's a good thing you remind me of Jess, then, isn't it?" he asked.

"Still gross," Sofi muttered.

Nick considered his hand-held Anomaly Detector as he led the pair inside. They argued like siblings, but he could tell that they were both very protective of each other. It made him feel at ease knowing that Sofi wasn't entirely alone. She may not have been the same person that he remembered, but she was still Sofi.

Unfortunately, there was no radio interference to indicate an active anomaly.

"I managed to scout ahead while I was waiting for you to turn up," said Jayden. "There isn't much in here, and the passage leading basement is padlocked."

They reached the area that Jayden was talking about and sighed.

"Great," Sofi muttered. "Now what? We don't have the key, and I don't see anything nearby that can break a padlock."

"Will this help?"

Sofi turned and found Connor standing behind her holding a crowbar. She stared at him, guilt and regret eating her up inside. She wanted to say something, anything but found that she couldn't. Sorry wasn't a good enough apology.

"Yeah," said Nick, holding out his hand. "Yeah, that will do the trick."

Connor handed over the crowbar.

"Er, thanks for coming," Nick said.

"With respect, I'm not doing it for either of you," said Connor, staring at Sofi. Despite talking to Nick it was obvious he blamed her more, and she didn't blame him. "It's what she would've wanted."

"Why are we talking about Abby like she's dead?" Jayden asked. "Come on, Sof, remember what you always say? No one is dead until there is a body to confirm it."

Sofi shook her head. "Yeah, but it's the not knowing that kills people," she said. "And not everyone is like me. You remember how you reacted when Robinson died?"

Jayden fell silent.

"We had an argument," Connor admitted. "The last things we said to each other were mean and stupid."

"She knew how much you cared about her," said Nick.

"You think?" Connor asked, his voice trembling.

Nick nodded.

Sofi licked her lips. "In my experience," she said, speaking to Connor for the first time since Abby's disappearance. "We're often mean to those we care about the most."

Connor stared at Sofi a second longer and then smiled. She returned it and turned back to Nick. He had managed to smash his way through the padlock and open the passage leading to the basement.

"Everyone ready?" Nick asked.

Sofi and Jayden nodded.

Connor paused and then nodded, too. "Let's finish this," he said.

Nick looked around at the three of them and then led the underground.

For a few feet, there was nothing but darkness and the distant sound of running water. It was muffled, and possibly coming from inside a drain. Then, the sound was joined by the unfamiliar whines and pangs of interference, the screen face of the AD lit up, bathing the whole passage in a bright blue light.

"Cutter, the anomaly's reopened," Connor said.

"I know," Cutter murmured, leading them further in. "It's this way."

The interference was getting louder and louder, but the team soon stopped as they reached a brick wall.

"No!" Connor cried in vain. "What are we supposed to do now?" he asked.

"It's just a wall," said Nick. He handed the anomaly detector to Sofi and raised the crowbar, slamming it down against the bricks and knocking them loose.

" _Help!_ "

Sofi looked at Connor. "I can hear shouting," she said. "Somebody's in there!"

The bricks continued to crumble away as Nick swung the crowbar harder and faster against the wall. Soon, a hole appeared, big enough for them all to climb through. The room on the other side held several big pipes, one that was spilling water into four large water tanks, all of which were flooded.

"Help!" the voice was coming from inside one of the water tanks. "Hello, is someone there? I'm in here!"

Jayden scrambled up onto the nearest water tank and jumped across to the one where the voice was coming from. He knelt beside the grate and managed to pull off the padlock that held it shut, it was eroded and rusted due to the water, and it came away easily.

"Lucien," said Nick, climbing over to Jayden and helping him drag Lucien from the water. The boy sputtered and coughed, water dripping from his clothes and hair.

"Are you alright?" Sofi asked. She stood on the first tank with Connor, surveying the scene ahead of them.

"You have to help Abby," Lucien spluttered.

"What?" Connor asked.

"Abby," Lucien repeated, pointing into the tank he had just been pulled from. "They took her."

Connor looked around at Sofi, his eyes wide. "Abby's still alive?!" he asked.

"Where have they taken her?" Sofi asked.

"Down the pipes," Lucien answered.

"Down the pipes down here?" Cutter asked, hoping to clarify Lucien's answer.

The boy nodded.

Connor jumped down from the water tank and sprinted off deeper into the tunnels. "ABBY!" he yelled, his voice rebounding off the walls and echoing all over the room.

"Connor!" Cutter called after him, but Connor had already gone.

"Lucien, what did it look like?" Sofi asked.

Lucien looked around at her. There wasn't much of an age gap between them both, a few months ago most, but he seemed stunned that she was here. The surprise, however, turned to fear and something over Sofi's head drew his attention. "That!" he said.

Sofi turned and her eyes widened in response. "What the hell is that?" she asked. It looked like nothing she had ever expected a future walrus or a seal to ever look like, but in a way, it also kind of did. It had a massive bulky body and tusks protruding from its lower jaws. It's tiny black eyes landed on Sofi and it lumbered towards her.

"Hey, back off!" Jayden yelled, jumping back over to Sofi's side and pulling her behind him. He didn't have his rifle or handgun with him, having not needed it since he was supposed to be searching the canal and not investigating flooded buildings where possible future creatures were lurking.

"Lucien, just stay where you are," Nick said.

But, being a teenager, Lucien ignored the order and picked up a large rock. He lifted it over his head and threw it at the beast. The rock it the pipe and bounced off, cracking the creature in the head and rendered it unconscious, causing it to fall off the tanks with a thud.

Sofi sighed and pressed her head against Jayden's uniform.

"Yes! Two points!" Lucien cheered. "Who says I can't play?"

Cutter laughed and nudged Lucien. "Nice shot," he complimented. "You two okay?" he called to Jayden and Sofi.

They both nodded.

As a splash came from behind her, Sofi looked over to where Nick and Lucien were standing and found that Nick was nowhere to be seen. He surfaced a few seconds later in the open water tank between the others. He shook his hair from his face and looked up at the others.

"What was that?" Nick asked.

Sofi's eyes widened and she swallowed hard as another creature surfaced behind her Professor.

Seeing the looks he was receiving, Nick pivoted slowly on the spot and backed up against the wall of the tank. The creature growled and snapped at him, but before it could lunge a bubble of water appeared behind it and a small submarine popped up from beneath the surface.

The creature roared and lunged at the sub.

Sofi swallowed and looked up at Jayden. The creature had taken the sub in its mouth and smashed it to pieces. If they could do that to a piece of plastic, what could it do to them?

Dragging himself from the water, Nick helped Lucien down the other side and motioned for Jayden and Sofi to join them. As they did, more creatures appeared from the pipes and water tanks, surrounding the small group of humans and pushing up against the wall.

There was no escape.

Sofi felt Jayden wrap his arms around her waist and hold her close to his chest. He whispered something to her, but she couldn't hear him as his face was pressed against her head and his breath sent shivers down her neck. She could only assume he was apologizing, but she couldn't figure out for the life of her what he had to be sorry for. She was the one who needed to be sorry, she had been the one to drag him away from the canal. At least there he had been safe.

The water inside the tank bubbled again and a figure burst out - Stephen emerged, looking like a drowned rat and holding a rifle. He met Nick's eye and instantly Nick forced Lucien to the ground.

"Get down! Sofi, Jayden!" Nick yelled at the pair.

Sofi hit the ground first and Jayden hunched over her, covering her with his body.

The sound of gunfire echoed around the room and the roars and whimpers of pain from the creatures joined it seconds later.

Then... there was silence.

**~X~**

Sofi waited with bated breath at the entrance to the warehouse. She and Lucien had decided to head back up and call for medical help, and backup while Jayden, Stephen, and Nick headed off to the find the anomaly and bring Abby and Connor home.

The medical services had got there before the others had arrived, and where in the process of checking Lucien over when they did. Lester, Leek, and Jenny had also arrived in the meantime, but neither of them said a word to Sofi as she awaited the return of her friends.

Finally, the others returned.

Sofi run towards them and engulfed Abby in a hug. Tears of joy and fear flooded her eyes and sobbed into the older woman's shoulder, apologizing over and over again for all the trouble she had caused.

"Hey, it's okay," Abby said, hugging the youngster back. "It all worked out in the end."

"I'm just sorry it had to play out this way," said Sofi. "I have to believe me when I say that I never intended for anything to happen to you."

Abby nodded and kissed Sofi's forehead. "I know, Sof," she said.

Sofi sighed and released Abby. "You should let the medics take a look at you," she said. "Just to be safe."

"You got it," Abby said, walking away. Connor followed her but kept his distance. He watched as the paramedics wrapped her in a blanket to dry her off and warm her up, and then left her with Lucien.

Meanwhile, Sofi turned back to Nick, Stephen and Jayden. The latter excused himself and headed towards Graham, with Ryan still in a coma he had taken over the SAS until his Captain was fit for return.

"Has the anomaly closed?" Lester asked, approaching with Leek in tow.

"No," Nick answered. "It's still there and it's likely to recur."

Lester sighed and folded his arms. "You know what, Leek, I think this whole area could benefit from a Government Redevelopment Grant. We'll start by sealing the anomaly site with a few thousand tons of concrete. That should do the job,"

"Shall I speak to the contractors?" Leek asked.

"No, don't worry. I'll get myself a shovel and a cement mixer and do it myself," Lester replied, sarcastically. "Yes, of course, you should speak to the contractors, you idiot."

Sofi bit her lip to keep from laughing.

Leek cleared his throat. "Yes, right, sorry, sir," he apologised.

Lester shook his head and turned back to Nick. "Next time I sack you, you might at least pretend to stay sacked for more than five minutes," he said.

"Technically we were sacked for over an hour," Sofi said. She knew she shouldn't have, but she couldn't help herself.

Lester ignored her. "Still, I suppose it's just as well you decided to disobey my orders,  _again_ ," he glanced at the teenager this time. "If it were left up to Stephen we'd all still be looking in the wrong place, wouldn't we?"

Sofi felt Stephen stiffen.

"Jenny, would you like to join us?" Lester asked the older woman. He turned and walked away, leaving Nick, Stephen and Sofi alone once more.

"That's unfair," Cutter said, shaking his head at Stephen.

"No. No, called it wrong," Stephen said. "I should have listened to you."

Nick patted Stephen on the back. "I was lucky," he said.

As Nick walked away and Stephen turned to Sofi. "He may have been lucky, but you weren't," he said. "You were right all along, Sof. I'm sorry."

"We all made mistakes today," said Sofi, shaking her head. "Can we just forget and move on?"

Stephen nodded. "Sure," he said.

"Great. I'll see you later." Sofi turned away and headed towards the exit, passing Abby and Nick on her way out.


	11. Sands of Time

"... and you didn't say it back?" Sofi asked.

Abby shook her head. "I needed to be sure that he meant it," she said. "I think... I think I'm scared that he just said it because we were literally about to die."

Sofi smiled. "Oh, Abby," she said. "How could you be so oblivious?"

"Oblivious? To what?"

"Connor has been in love with you since he first laid eyes on you," said Sofi. "I mean, why do you think he asked you if he could move in for a couple of days? He could have asked me or even Stephen, but he didn't."

Abby stared at her friend. "Oh god," she suddenly said, burying her face in her hands. "So, you're saying, while I was chasing after Stephen?"

"Connor was chasing after you, yeah," Sofi nodded and grinned.

Abby sighed heavily and pulled the car into the parking area of the abandoned warehouse. Nick had sent them both a message saying they had an active anomaly and the coordinates.

"Why is it always a creepy abandoned place?" Sofi asked, looking around.

"At least we aren't here at night," said Abby. "Then it would be really creepy."

Sofi made a small murmur of agreement and looked over her shoulder as a fourth car joined the rest. Jayden climbed out of the driver's seat and made his way over to the two girls'.

"What are you doing here?" Sofi asked.

"Wondering why my best friend didn't tell me we had an active anomaly," said Jayden.

Sofi rolled her eyes. "Maybe because she thought that you had annual leave all this week," she answered. "You already gave up one day with your family, why do you insist on giving up the rest?"

"Because the last time I left you alone, you went and got yourself fired from the team."

"Right. Because you're so magnificent at what you do, you could've got Lester to change his mind."

"I could've prevented you from going off on your own," said Jayden. "Or, at least, tried to."

Abby smirked, walked around to the back of the truck, and started to unload the equipment. "You know, you two fight like an old married couple," she said. "I just have one question. Where was my invitation?"

"I don't think his boyfriend would approve," Sofi said.

"Yeah, Craig's not really the sharing type," Jayden said, shaking his head. "But then, I don't think the Captain is, either."

Sofi rolled her eyes and shoved Jayden aside. "Oh, shut up!" she grumbled, heading around the back of the truth and helping Abby with the last of the equipment. "If you're going to insist on being my shadow the least you can do is make yourself useful," she handed him a black case. "Take this over to Stephen and Connor for me."

"Yes, ma'am!" Jayden saluted.

As Jayden walked away, Abby turned to Sofi. "You love him really," she said.

"Sometimes I wonder why," Sofi grumbled.

With all of the equipment set out, and Connor had set up his new invention, the team gathered around the anomaly. Connor stood in front of them all with an open box at his feet, he looked apprehensive with all the attention now solely on him.

"Go on then," Nick said. "It's your big day."

"Seriously, guys, prepare to be impressed," Connor said. He sounded proud, even though he looked nervous. He knelt beside the box and reached inside, removing what looked like a small tank with various household items attached to it.

Marvelling at his work, Connor looked up at the others anticipating their praise. He paused and frowned, however, at the strange looks he was receiving.

"What?" Connor asked. "It's a prototype. It's not meant to be sexy."

"That thing's not going to make it through the pipe, let alone the anomaly," said Stephen as Connor set the device down and reached for its controller.

"Could we just have a little bit of faith, please?" Connor asked.

"How can an Athiest believe in faith?" Sofi asked, cocking her head to the side.

Connor offered her a pointed look. "Shush," he said, although the grin on his lips told her he was messing around.

Sofi pretended to lock her lips.

"Thank you," Connor said. He pressed forward on the controls and manoeuvred the weirdly designed tank up into the pipe and into the anomaly. "Now I know what Galileo had to put up with."

Abby and Sofi sniggered.

Once the tank was safely through the anomaly, the team crowded around Sofi's laptop as an image filtered back through. Connor used the controls to turn the onboard camera around, scanning the scenery for any signs of life.

"High CO2, low oxygen," said Sofi, checking the readings on the side of her screen. "At a guess, I would say pre-Carboniferous. Maybe Ordovician or even Silurian."

"There are no dinosaurs, no mammals, there are no birds," Nick said.

"Wait a minute," Jayden said. "Connor, lift the camera and zoom in on the rock formation directly in front of us."

Connor did as asked.

"Is that... is that a little girl?" Jenny asked. "What is she doing?"

"She's looking for her dog," said Nick.

"She might be injured," said Abby.

"There's nothing really in the Silurian to injure her," said Connor. "You know, we're talking a few basic plants and bugs."

"How big are the bugs?"

"Bug-size, I think."

"That's not exactly reassuring," said Jayden. "I mean, remember the last time you thought something was one way and it turned out completely wrong?"

Connor looked affronted. "I said I was sorry!" he protested.

"Ignore him, Connor," Sofi said, gently. "We all made a mistake with the Arthropleurid. We could only go with the information we had on file, it's not your fault it was wrong."

Jayden pouted at Sofi as Connor turned back to the computer.

"She could've hurt herself on the rocks," said Sofi. "They don't look stable enough to support a lot of weight."

"She must be terrified," Jenny said.

"We have to get her out," said Nick. He looked up at Stephen.

Stephen nodded. "Let's do it," he said.

**~X~**

With Stephen and Nick fully on the other side of the anomaly, Sofi sat in the passenger seat of Jenny's car as they drove through the streets of London and into a council estate not that far from the anomaly site. She had opted to go with the PR Guru to deliver the bad news, as opposed to sitting around and waiting for hours for Nick and Stephen to return.

"Any advice before we go up there?" Sofi asked. "Aside from the obvious of telling him the truth."

"Have you ever told a family that their loved one is in danger before?" Jenny asked.

Sofi shook her head. "No, but I have received damaging news like this before," she said. "When my father died. The police came and told me. It was hard hearing them say he was gone."

"Well, hopefully, this won't be like that," said Jenny. "It's going to be hard telling the girl's parents that she is trapped somewhere, but hopefully it will be a happy ending later."

Sofi nodded and stared up the concrete steps leading to the top balcony. From the collar on Spratt's collar, she lived in one of the flats right at the very top. "What's your cover story?" she asked, curiously.

"Fallen down a pipe at a construction site," said Jenny.

"Do you think they'll believe it?"

Jenny shrugged. "Don't think of it as lying," she said. "We're just obscuring the truth. You ready?"

"I think so," Sofi said. She took a deep breath and got out of the car, waiting for Jenny to join her and then following her up the stone steps. She carried Spratt in her arms, petting and scratching the small dog under her chin to keep her calm.

Jenny observed Sofi from the corner of her eye. "You're really good with animals, you know that?" she said.

"I'm good with the ones that don't try to eat me," said Sofi.

Jenny smiled. They reached the flat number that was the same on Spratt's collar and Jenny knocked the glass twice.

The door opened and a middle-aged man appeared in the frame. He looked like he had been drinking all afternoon, and had probably just awoken from a nap. "Who are you and what do you want?" he asked, looking between the two women. His eyes dropped to the dog in Sofi's arms. "Why do you have Spratt?"

"Do you have a daughter?" Jenny asked.

"Step-daughter," the man answered. "Her name's Taylor. Where is she?"

Jenny glanced at Sofi. "Do you think we could come in?" she asked. "I'm afraid we have some unsettling news."

The man looked between them again and then headed back inside. Sofi and Jenny followed, suddenly glad that they had one another and we're not here alone. They weren't sure if the young girl's stepfather was violent, but given the fact that he had been drinking, and they were about to deliver some hard news, things could've turned ugly very fast.

"Huh, Mr..." Jenny trailed off, realising she didn't know the man's name.

"Steve," he said.

Jenny nodded. "Okay, Steve, I'm sorry to tell you this, but we received an urgent call this morning about a young girl in distress," she explained. "She's trapped down a pipe in an abandoned construction site."

"Trapped down a pipe?" Steve repeated.

"Yes, I'm afraid so," Jenny said.

"Look, I gotta do something. Where is she? What construction site?" Steve asked.

Sofi glanced uncertainly at Jenny.

"Steve, let the experts do their job," Jenny said, calmly.

"Look, I need to help," Steve insisted.

"The best thing you can do is just wait here," said Jenny.

"I thought she had run away," Steve admitted. "I have... I've been trying my best. I'm not her real dad, okay? Since her mum..."

Sofi felt her heartbreak. This man was raising someone else's child, on his own, and apparently with no help. It reminded her so much of her foster mother. It wasn't easy growing up with a parent that wasn't your own, especially when you constantly missed the family you had been taken from.

"Steve," said Jenny, placing a comforting hand on his arm. "I'll let you know the moment there's any news."

Steve sighed and buried his face in his hands.

Sofi bit her lower lip and looked at Jenny. This was harder than she expected it to be.

**~X~**

After leaving Steve's home, Sofi and Jenny headed back to the ARC and were surprised to find Abby and Connor there, also.

"I thought you were guarding the anomaly?" Sofi asked.

"It's closed," Abby answered.

"Oh, so they're back then?" Sofi asked. "Stephen, Nick and Taylor?"

"Who?" Connor asked.

"Taylor. That's the name of the little girl," said Jenny. "We've just come from her stepfather's home. Where is she? The hospital?"

Abby and Connor shared a look, and with each passing second, Sofi felt her heart falter.

"They're not back, are they?" Sofi asked. The tension was thick now, and she could tell that something was wrong. Something bad.

Abby shook her head, staring sadly at Sofi.

"You're telling me that they're gone?" Sofi asked. "Really gone?"

Abby wound her arm around Sofi's shoulders and squeezed her tightly. "We're sorry, Sof," she whispered.

"What are we doing about it?" Jenny asked.

"Lester's called a meeting," said Connor. "That's why we're back. Jayden called to inform him while we were still at the site."

Jenny nodded and led the trio into the ARC and up to Lester's office. He was waiting for them, his back to the door as he surveyed the ARC's main operations area. Inside the office, also waiting for them, was Jayden. The minute the others entered, he crossed the room and took Sofi in his arms.

"What are the chances of the anomaly re-opening?" Lester asked.

"Some do, some don't," said Connor.

"But it could be tomorrow," said Abby, hoping to sound reassuring.

"Or it could be in a thousand years' time," Connor added. "We just don't know, that's the problem."

Sofi choked back a sob and buried her face in her hands. She knew that there had to be bad news to counter the good, it was how life worked. But for once she just wanted to hear some good news.

"I'm sorry, James," Jenny said, softly. "We may have to face the fact that we've lost them."

Lester walked away from his office window and sat behind his desk. He looked expectantly at Connor and Abby. "How long can they survive?" he asked.

"If they find water, then they could survive for a few weeks," Connor answered. "If they don't..."

"If they don't then they're dead within a few hours," said Sofi, her voice thick with tears.

Jayden cradled Sofi close and looked up, meeting Jenny's gaze. He shook his head and then leaned down, pressing a kiss to the top of Sofi's head.

"So what do we do now?" Jenny asked, looking over at Lester. She was aware that no one wanted to consider moving on without Stephen or Nick by their side, but they still had a job to do.

"We carry on," Lester answered, immediately. "Daphne, Scrappy, and Velma will have to take charge of the anomaly operation." He looked over at the three members left of the Anomaly Research team. Despite one being obviously distraught, he still trusted her to put her feelings aside.

Connor and Abby shared a look.

"You mean us?" Connor asked.

"Unfortunately, yes," Lester confirmed. He looked up at Jenny. "Keep a permanent watch on the anomaly site. If it re-opens, we go in after them."

"What should I tell the girl's stepfather?" Jenny asked. While she hadn't promised Steve that she would bring Taylor home, she had given him hope that she would at least make it out alive.

Lester shrugged. "Tell him we did our best," he said. "In the meantime, we have no option but to get on with the job. Miss Wyatt, a word before you leave?"

Sofi pulled away from Jayden as he and the others filed out of the room. She swallowed and looked over at Lester, reaching up to wipe her tears from her face. "Yes, sir?" she asked, her voice quiet.

**~X~**

Jayden stared slack-jawed at Sofi. As did Connor and Abby. She had just told them the reason why Lester had asked her to stay behind in his office, apparently, until either Cutter returned or he could find a suitable replacement, she was in charge of the Anomaly Research Team.

"Effective immediately?" Jayden asked.

"Why you?" asked Connor.

Sofi shrugged. "I asked that very question," she said. "His response was that I'm suitable, although I fail to see how. I mean, just last week he was firing me for going off on my own."

"I guess he sees a lot of Cutter in you," said Abby. "I mean, he fired Cutter last week for standing up for you."

"True," said Sofi. She spied the pipe over her friends' shoulders. Jenny was standing directly in front of it, her whole body tense. She sighed and turned back, her gaze meeting Sofi's and offering a small smile.

"You'll be great," Jenny said, reassuringly. "You've got all the skills to be a leader."

"It's only temporary," said Sofi. "Until Cutter gets back."

"If he gets back," Connor muttered.

Sofi and Abby shared a look.

"He'll make it back," said Abby, nudging Connor. "When have either Cutter or Stephen let us down before?"

Jayden nodded.

"Right. Well, I guess I can't put this off any longer," said Jenny, smoothing out her dress.

Sofi bit her lip. "I'm going to stay here if you don't mind," she said. She couldn't bear the thought of having to tell someone that they had failed to save their child. Just telling Steve that Taylor was trapped was enough.

Jenny nodded in understanding. "Call me if there's any change or..." she trailed off, her gaze glancing towards the pipe again. "Just call me."

"We will," Sofi agreed.

**~X~**

Not even ten minutes after Jenny had left, did Sofi's phone buzz in her pocket. She removed it and glanced at the screen, sitting up straighter as her eyes widened. "Guys!" she called, gathering the others attention. "I just got an alert from the ARC. There's a new anomaly."

"What? Where?" Abby asked.

"Lost Word Adventure Park," Sofi answered.

Connor glanced at the pipe where they were waiting for the Silurian anomaly to reopen. "We can't leave yet," he said. "What if it reopens?"

"Cutter and Stephen are big enough to look after themselves," said Jayden. "If this anomaly does reopen, and we're not here, they'll probably understand that we are busy elsewhere."

"Yeah but -"

"Alright enough!" Sofi interrupted. The tensions were running too high for her to deal with effectively. "Look, I know we're all worried about Stephen and Cutter, but Jayden's right, they are more than capable of looking after themselves. This is is contained, for now, if needed I can ask Graham and a couple of soldiers to come down and wait while we check out the new one."

Abby smirked at Sofi. "She's right," she agreed. "Besides, what would Cutter say? He'd tell us to investigate the new anomaly."

Sofi nodded.

Connor let out a long sigh. "Yeah, right," he said, nodding. "I'm just..."

"I know," Sofi said, patting his arm. "And, hey, maybe we get lucky. Maybe this new anomaly is the one they've returned through. I mean, it wouldn't be the first time that anomalies have moved."

Connor smiled. "Yeah. Come on then," he said, leading the way back towards the cars. "What are we waiting for?"

It was a race from the construction site to the other side of London where the Lost Work Adventure Park was located. The carpark outside was busy and, to make matters worse, it was peak season.

"God, I hope there isn't an incursion," Jayden said. "We do not need a repeat of the Blue Sky Amusement Park."

Sofi nodded and looked around. In her hand, she held her Anomaly Detector.

Flashing their Government IDs at the man in the ticket booth, Connor led the others through the park, using his anomaly detector as a guide. It led them directly into a wooded area where an outside sign read ' **Palaeolithic Era** '.

"Oh boy."

"What?" Jayden asked.

Sofi shook her head. "Nothing, really, at least not from our point of view," she said.

Jayden cocked his head to the side in confusion.

"If Cutter and Stephen have come through this anomaly," said Sofi, "then they're not going to realise they're in an amusement park. This area is set up to represent cavemen and Neanderthals. They were... dangerous, to say the least."

Jayden nodded as he realised what Sofi was saying. "Cutter and Stephen won't know it's an actor if they come across one," he summarised.

"Exactly."

"Then we best find them," said Jayden. "If they're here, that is."

Ahead, already pushing his way through trees and brambles, Connor was calling Cutter and Stephen's names. Abby was trotting alongside him, also eager to see if her friends had made it back. The pair soon disappeared from view and no sooner had they done so Sofi heard Connor calling her name.

Spurred into action by the urgency in Connor's voice, Sofi and Jayden rushed into the trees. They rounded a corner and stopped dead.

"Oh, thank you!" Sofi gasped, running forward. She threw her arms around Cutter, hugging him as tightly as she could.

Cutter chuckled but hugged her nonetheless.

"It is really, really good to see you guys," Connor grinned.

As Sofi pulled away from hugging him, Stephen set his sights on Connor. "A few basic plants, some bugs!" he mocked.

"What?" Connor asked innocently.

Jayden chuckled and patted his shoulder.

**~X~**

Later that evening, Sofi sat in her lab finishing up some work. She looked up as the door opened and Cutter stepped inside. She smiled. "Hey, I thought you'd have gone home by now," she said.

"Guess I could say the same," Cutter said, leaning against the table. He set a headcam on the desk, and Sofi eyed it suspiciously.

"Got some work to finish up," said Sofi. "Thanks for the sand, by the way. It helps my thesis."

Nick nodded. While he had been running for his life from giant scorpions that wanted to eat him, Stephen, and Taylor, he had managed to remember to grab a sample of prehistoric sand for Sofi to analyse.

"What's that?" Sofi asked, nodding at the headcam.

"We run into an old friend while on the other side," said Nick. "The Cleaner."

Sofi frowned. "Why the hell was he there?" she asked.

Nick shook his head. "I don't know, exactly," he said. "But I think it has something to do with the creatures. This video shows him, and two others trying to capture what they think is a sand snake."

"And was it?" Sofi asked.

"No. It was a giant Silurian Scorpion."

Sofi grimaced. "Yikes. I'm guessing that didn't end well?" she asked. "So, what? You think this is evidence towards someone working against us?"

Nick shrugged. "Possibly," he said. "I know it's not much to go on."

"No, but it's something," said Sofi. "And given all the other evidence we have. I just don't understand why someone would want to work against us. I mean, we're the good guys, aren't we? We keep the public safe, oblivious, but safe."

Nick nodded.

Sofi sighed and looked back at the headcam. "Come to think about it, I haven't seen Aaron for a few days," she said. "Not since he attacked me at the marina."

"That reminds me, how are you holding up?" Nick asked. The faint outline of a bruise still lingered on Sofi's face.

"I've had worse," Sofi replied, shrugging. "Jayden wants to rip him apart, and he keeps saying that Ryan's going to murder him when he finally wakes up and finds out what's been going on. I can't say that I'd consider stopping him."

Cutter laughed and straightened up. "No, I don't think I'd consider stopping him either," he said.

Sofi smiled.

"I'm going to make a coffee, you want one?" Cutter asked.

Sofi shook her head. "To be honest, I think the last thing you need right now is coffee," she said. "Maybe some sleep."

"You know, you're probably right."

"Of course I am."

Cutter smirked. "I'm just going to put this in my office," he picked up the headcam. "You want a ride home?"

"No, I'm okay," said Sofi, shaking her head. "But thanks for the offer."

Cutter nodded and left the lab.

* * *

**A/N: Watching this episode is fun. Writing it? Not so much. It's short, but I couldn't find a better way to flesh it out. I hope you still like it.**

**~Twix**


	12. Traitor Revealed

"Damn it!"

Sofi looked up from her work and towards the door of her lab. The yelling was coming from across the hall where Nick's office was located. Curious as to why the Professor was shouting so early in the morning, Sofi slid from her seat and left her work behind.

"Hey," Sofi said, sticking her head around Nick's door. "Everything alright in here?"

"Sof, the headcam, it's gone," said Nick. He was panting from the exertion of turning his office upside down.

Sofi frowned and stepped further inside. "What do you mean 'gone'?" she asked. "Where did you put them last night?"

"In here." Nick pointed at the top drawer of his desk. "I normally lock it, but I didn't last night. Must've forgotten. But I've come in now and they're gone. Who was here last night after I left?"

Sofi shook her head. "Not many people," she answered. "Marion left not long after you, Leek and Lester stuck around for a little while, and there were a handful of soldiers still here when I left around 10:30. Do you think one of them took it?"

"What about Aaron Black?"

"Like I said last night, I haven't seen him since the incident at the Marina," said Sofi. "He could've come in after I went home. You want me to check the security logs? Jayden's on duty, I can message him and ask."

Nick shook his head. "No. No, I want to keep this between the team for the time being," he said. "Come on. Let's go meet the others and fill them in."

Sofi nodded and followed him out of the office, down the hall, and into the gym.

Abby, Connor, and Stephen were already there waiting. Stephen drinking his morning coffee, Abby had just finished up her morning routine, and Connor was struggling to hold the weight bar that Abby had been using.

"He just told us to meet him here," said Abby with a sigh. She grabbed an orange towel from her locker door and used it to dab the sweat from her face.

"I wanted it to be somewhere we wouldn't be overheard," said Nick, arriving with Sofi in tow. He crossed over to the CD player and turned up the rap music that was playing.

Connor turned to Stephen. "Wow, advanced paranoia or what?" he asked in what he thought was a quiet voice.

"A necessary precaution," said Nick, turning back. "Come here There is someone working against us, someone who has access to the detector and probably the same person who stole the headset in the Silurian."

Connor hastily checked over his shoulder.

"Someone?" Stephen repeated.

"Okay, I know that we all have our own ideas about what that might be, but this time we have to find out for sure," Nick continued.

"Okay, so how are we going to do that?" Stephen asked.

Before Nick had a chance to reply, the alarm sounded as the detector picked up an active anomaly. The team exchanged a look and dispersed.

"My worst nightmare in one sentence," Lester bellowed as he marched out of his office and down the ramp. The red lights throughout the ARC were flashing, casting a glow over the whole area.

"Mammoth on the M25," Jenny sighed already on the phone.

"It's a  _Colombian_  Mammoth," said Sofi.

"The flavour is immaterial," said Lester with a roll of his eyes.

"The Colombian is a hairless species, sir," Leek said, handing Lester a form.

Lester stopped and turned to Leek, snatching the form from him. "Look, I don't care if it shaved its legs and got a bikini wax. It's on a motorway in broad daylight."

With all coordinates sent to the handhelds, Sofi, Connor, and Abby followed Nick out to his car. Jayden was waiting for them, leaning against Sofi's Mustang.

"See you there," said Nick,

Sofi nodded and climbed into the driver's seat of her car as Jayden occupied her passenger. The Mustang peeled out of the ARC carpark first, beeping its horn at Stephen as he searched for a bigger gun.

**~X~**

Sofi and Jayden reached the area ahead of the others. They were let through as Jenny vouched for their assistance to the police on the scene.

"Where are the others?" Jenny asked.

"They're behind us," said Sofi. "As the area been evacuated?"

Jenny nodded. "I've shut down the motorway at the next two junctions, kept the camera crews out, shut down the mobile networks, there's a no-fly zone in place, and the eyewitnesses have been debriefed," she explained.

"Nice," Jayden said. "You should've been with us since the beginning. Leek was crap compared to you, and his cover stories were horrendous."

"He's not lying," said Sofi as Jenny chuckled.

A beep from behind alerted the trio to the arrival of the rest of the team. Sofi held up her hand and then pulled ahead as Jenny directed her forward.

Reaching the deserted patch of road where the start of the M25 was located, Sofi and Jayden jumped out of the car and looked back as Nick's truck pulled up behind them. Cutter, Abby and Connor stepped out.

"Where's Stephen?" Sofi asked.

"Still searching for the gun," said Connor.

Sofi rolled her eyes and turned back to the scene at hand. The M25 was void of pedestrians, their cars had been abandoned all because a giant elephant with a huge trunk and tusks rampaged around the freeway, occasionally tossing metallic cars and crushing trucks in its path.

"Oh, you beauty," Nick breathed.

"Ready for a fun fact?" Sofi asked Jayden. "The Columbian Mammoth is the biggest elephant to have ever lived. It was still running around North America until about eight thousand years ago."

Jayden grinned. "Mammoth's are awesome!" he said.

"It's a herd animal," said Abby. "It can't smell its mates."

The sound of urgent beeping came from a car not that far away, and a woman's voice called back to them asking for help. The mammoth put off by the noise, roared and trumpeted in agitation.

"We got to get her out," said Connor.

"No," said Sofi. "If we got near her, it'll make things worse."

"Then what do we do?" Jayden asked. "Just leave her there?"

Nick shook his head. "The mammoth's panicking because she's making too much noise," he explained. "First thing we've got to do is get her to shut up."

"We could send her a message," said Sofi, pointing at the signal receiver. It usually showed messages such as 'drive slow' and 'delays at' different junctions, but now they could use it to get a message to the woman.

Nick nodded and turned to Connor. "Get Jenny to put you through to the Highway Agency," he said. "Tell them we've got to get an urgent message out."

"I'm on it," Connor confirmed, running off.

Cocking two rifles, Abby and Jayden returned to the others.

"No, we're going to need more firepower," said Nick, shaking his head. "Where the hell is Stephen?"

**~X~**

Sofi returned, shaking her head. "Stephen's not answering," she said. "I've called him six times, and each time it goes to voicemail. He could be driving."

Nick made a small noise but didn't respond in full. Instead, he was staring intently at the mammoth as it continued to rampage behind the hysterical woman. He watched as she slammed her hand down on the horn of her car, only stopping as something above her eye-level caught her eye.

Sofi looked around and saw the words 'Shut Up' flashing in block letters above the motorway. She smirked and shook her head.

"Tactful," Nick said, clapping Connor on the shoulder.

"It's what you said, isn't it?" Connor asked.

Jayden pushed off the Mustang and made his way back over. He looked from the woman to the Mammoth and back again. "I can't wait any longer," he said.

"Jayden, we - JAYDEN!" Sofi cried.

Jayden ignored her and raced forward, dipping low between cars to remain out of the Mammoth's line of sight. Sofi shared a look with the others before following after Nick into the fray. They reached Jayden as he knelt on the passenger's side window of the woman's car, he was trying to get the back door open to release the kid.

"Her legs are trapped under the steering wheel," Jayden told Nick as he appeared opposite him.

"Please help Jake," the woman pleaded.

Sofi slipped past Jayden and crouched down beside the back door. Inside the little boy named Jake looked pale and afraid. "It's stuck," she said. "The frame has all twisted." She bit her lip and then shrugged out of her jacket. "Move over a little, Jake," she told the little boy. He did and Sofi used her jacket to cover her hands as she smashed out the rest of the window glass, she then pulled Jake through.

"My mum," Jake said, pointing back.

"It's okay, she's in good hands," said Sofi.

"Mum!"

"It's okay, Jake," the woman said, glancing over her shoulder.

Sofi covered Jake with her arms as she looked around for the Mammoth. She couldn't see it. "You need to be my eyes," she said to Jayden. "Where's it gone?"

"It's about four cars ahead of us," said Jayden, glancing up. He looked over at Nick. "Will you be okay here while I take Sofi and Jake back to Abby and Connor?"

Nick nodded and Jayden grabbed Sofi by the arm, leading her away. They crept along, ducking and hiding whenever the mammoth turned in their direction, and soon made it safely back to Connor and Abby, both of whom were trying to think of a way to distract the mammoth.

"What's going on?" Jake asked.

"We have to get the mammoth back through the anomaly somehow," said Abby, as Jayden and Sofi joined her.

"Well, I am open to suggestions on how," said Sofi.

"I have an idea," said Abby. "But I'm going to have to leave for a few."

Sofi hesitated and then nodded. "Take Jayden with you," she said, nodding at her best friend.

Abby nodded but Jayden hesitated.

"I'm supposed to stay with you, remember?" Jayden asked.

"I'll be fine," said Sofi. "Go. I'm in charge of looking after Jake, anyway, so I can't go far." She looked down at the little boy as he squeezed her hand.

Still unsure, Jayden followed Abby over to an orange and white sports car and drove off. This left Connor, Jake, and Sofi to look back at the mammoth. It had all but decimated the car Nick and Jake's mother was in.

"We need to distract it," said Sofi.

"How are we going to do that?" Connor asked.

"I don't know! But we have to do something!" Sofi cried, watching as the Mammoth pushed itself up onto his hind legs and then slammed its front ones back down onto the car. The remaining windows that were intact shattered under the weight.

Jake tugged at Sofi's hand. "What about that?" he asked. He was pointing a giant truck with a loading bay at the rear.

"Connor, come on!" Sofi said, dragging him over. She jumped up onto the second step and helped Jake into the passenger seat. She followed him and left Connor to clamber into the drivers.

"Keys," Connor panted. There were none in the ignition. "Gotta find some keys. Check the glove box, will you?" he asked Sofi, as he checked the flap overhead.

Sofi opened the glovebox and riffled through papers inside. "Nope. No keys," she said. "Do we really need -" she broke off as Jake reached across her and pushed the horn, a loud honking noise filled the cab and Connor jumped in surprise.

Taken back by Connor's surprise, Jake pulled his hand off the horn. He looked frightened.

Leaning out of the window, Connor grinned and pulled back. "Keep pressing it," he told Jake. "It's working."

Pulling Jake across her lap, Sofi opened the passenger's side door and stepped out onto the top step. She held on tightly to the door frame and watched as the Mammoth abandoned the car and made its way over to them, its massive trunk swinging wildly.

"Oi, get down before you fall down!"

Sofi looked over her shoulder as Jayden jumped out of the sports car and rushed over to her. She laughed and leaned forward, allowing him to take her by the waist and pull down back down to safety. "Sorry, dad," she teased.

"If you fell it would be my head on the chopping block," said Jayden.

"Ryan is still out for the count," said Sofi. "If anything bad did happen to me then it would've healed by the time he woke up to shoot you."

"The Captain can't shoot me at the moment," said Jayden. "But Graham can."

Sofi laughed and looked at Abby as she approached carrying a spray bottle. "Is this part of your plan?" she asked.

"Female elephant urine," Abby answered. "He's going to want to follow the scent." She passed the spray bottle to Nick as he arrived.

"Where did you get it?" Nick asked.

"There's a safari park one junction down," Abby answered.

"Will it work?" Jayden asked. "I hope it works."

Without replying, Nick walked over to the anomaly and stood in front of it. He sprayed a little urine on the ground and the Mammoth stopped in its tracks, its trunk raised into the air before it turned its attention towards the smell.

"Oh no," Sofi breathed, watching as the anomaly pulsated.

"Cutter!" Abby yelled as the anomaly closed.

Nick's eyes widened as he looked behind him. His gaze then trailed to the trunk that Sofi and Jayden stood beside. He sprayed the ground again and started to run towards the lowered ramp.

"Connor's in there," said Abby.

"Connor! Pull up the ramp!" Cutter yelled.

Wheeling around, Sofi run back to the open passenger door of the truck and scrambled up the steps. She peered at Connor and Jake. "Pull up the ramp!" she said.

"Which one's the ramp?" Connor asked.

Jake shook his head.

"Press them all!" Jayden urged. He had climbed up the three steps behind Sofi and was holding onto the doorframe above her to keep himself steady.

Jake and Connor fumbled with every little button available on the dashboard setting of different things like the radio and the windscreen wipers. Everything but the ramp.

"Connor, pull up the ramp!" Cutter repeated.

Sofi squeaked as she was thrown forward into the cab of the truck. Jayden followed her, pinning her against the side of the seat. The truck had just toppled over with the weight of the Mammoth trudging inside.

"Sorry. Sorry," Jayden apologised. He pulled back, off of Sofi and looked towards the back of the truck. "Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Nobody touches anything. The ramp is up."

Connor caught Jake's hand.

"We did it," Connor breathed. He laughed in relief and looked over at Sofi and Jayden. "We caught a Mammoth."

Sofi grinned. "What the hell are we going to do with it?" she asked.

Connor shrugged.

Shaking her head, Sofi looked over her shoulder as Jayden jumped down from the truck's steps. She turned and followed him, holding her arms out to Jake as he jumped down to her. "Come on, big boy," she said, setting him on the ground again. "Let's go find your mum, yeah?"

Jake nodded enthusiastically.

**~X~**

Returning to the police crime tape, Sofi climbed out of her car along with Jayden. Besides the Mustang Connor jumped out of Cutter's truck and hefted Jake up onto his back, the little boy looked around the many faces for his mother.

"There she is," said Jayden, pointing at the back of a waiting ambulance. He took Jake from Connor and led the little boy away.

Meanwhile, Sofi's attention was drawn to Stephen's car that was parked beneath the underpass. But it wasn't the fact that Stephen was waiting for them, it was the fact that he wasn't alone while he waited. Helen Cutter was leaning against the car, watching the scene intently.

"So, where the hell have you been?" Nick asked Stephen. "We could have been killed."

"You weren't," said Stephen.

"Not this time," Nick countered.

"You just going to ignore me, Nick?" Helen asked, adjusting herself on the car's frame.

Nick hesitated. "Is she with you?" he asked, his attention still on Stephen.

"Not in the way you think," said Stephen.

"You've been seeing her?"

"Yeah, a couple of times, but, look, this is important," said Stephen, trying his hardest to get the conversation back on topic.

Nick tensed and then stormed past Stephen, bumping shoulders with him. "You're fired," he said.

"She can help us!" Stephen yelled, chasing after him.

Sofi glanced around at Abby and Connor. They both looked as confused as she felt. Why was Helen here? And why did Stephen trust her?

**~X~**

Once back at the ARC, Sofi returned her to lab. She was aware that a storm was brewing, and she also knew that sooner or later Stephen would come through her doors looking for, hopefully, her alliance.

"Hey."

Looking up, Sofi smiled as Nick stuck his head around the door. "Hey," she replied.

"You okay?"

Sofi shrugged. "Normally, I would say yes," she nodded. "Because, normally, what goes on between you and Stephen outside the ARC is none of my business."

"But?"

" _But..._  this does involve the ARC, and the team, I kind of feel that I have a right to know," said Sofi. "Is this about telling the public about the ARC and what we do here?"

It was Nick's turn to shrug. "I can't say for sure," he said.

"Why does Helen care that the public knows about this place?" Sofi asked. "Why does she care that the public knows about the past existing, or even the future? Doesn't she and Stephen realise the consequences of people knowing?"

Nick braced himself against the desk. "I don't know, Sofi," he said. "I don't think either of them thinks as you do."

"Helen does, sometimes," said Sofi. "I, sometimes, partly think that is why she took an interest in me. Interest enough to knock me through an anomaly, anyway."

"Can you remember what she said to you?" Cutter asked.

Sofi shook her head. "No, but it's not like I was in her path when she made a break for the anomaly," she said. "She went out of her way to run into me."

Nick sighed and rested his head in his hands.

The door behind them creaked open and Sofi looked up to see Stephen standing behind Nick. He met her gaze and offered her a smile, one that she refused to return.

"We don't have the right to decide what people should know," said Stephen.

Nick straightened up and stared at Sofi. "Look, whatever argument you may have had lost any credibility when you hooked up with Helen," he said without turning around.

"She predicted this," Stephen scoffed. "Said that you wouldn't listen. That you were too arrogant to face reality." He stormed around to the side of the desk, just enough so he could face Cutter.

"Reality?" Cutter repeated. "You have no idea what that word even means any more. The world changed. We can't protect anyone until we know why the anomalies appear and what they mean."

"It's always your way or nothing," Stephen said.

"That works for me," said Nick. He pushed away from the table and headed towards the door.

Sofi glanced at Stephen as he took a deep breath. He looked like he was stealing himself for what was come, and when it did, she couldn't believe it.

"No wonder she turned to me," Stephen said, his breathing quickening as Nick stopped dead on the threshold. The lab was eerily silent as Nick turned to face Stephen, his hands balling into fists at his side.

There was a split-second pause before Nick punched Stephen square in the jaw. The younger of the two men lost his balance and fell back into the wall. Without saying a word, Cutter stormed out of the lab and Stephen picked himself up from the ground.

"That's made everything simple," Stephen muttered.

"What did you expect to happen?"

Stephen paused in the doorway and turned to Sofi. She was staring at him with a look of curiosity, her head cocked to the side. He shrugged. "I kinda hoped he would listen," he said.

"To what? A potential plan to put the whole of London in danger?" Sofi asked. "You know, as well as any of us, that these anomalies and the creatures that come through them are unpredictable. We can't control where they are going to open up or what manner of animal is going to come through."

"What if one opens in someone's house, Sofi?" Stephen asked. "It's happened before, and we were able to contain it. But what if it opens in someone's kitchen and something dangerous comes through? What do you expect them to do if they aren't prepared?"

Sofi shook her head. "Listen to yourself, Stephen!" she cried. "If an anomaly opens up and something  _dangerous_  comes through. What is there to prepare for? How can you fight a creature that you know nothing about without killing it, or even if you did know about it, why wouldn't you want to kill a threat?"

"Is that so bad?"

"You can't meddle with time," said Sofi. "These creatures are not the problem. Humans are."

"How do you make that one out?" Stephen asked, suddenly confused.

Sofi licked her lips and sighed. "Human's are always going to be the problem, Stephen," she said. "They don't care about anything other than what they can gain. Animals, prehistoric, modern, and even future, they only kill because they  _have_  too. Survival. Human's do it for fun."

"You sound like Abby," Stephen muttered.

"Good. That also means your resources here at the ARC are limited," said Sofi. "Goodbye, Stephen."

Stephen stared at the teenager for a second longer before leaving the lab completely. He should've known that Abby, Sofi, and Connor would side with Nick.

**~X~**

An hour later, Sofi was joined in the lab by Abby. The older woman looked like she wanted to talk, and Sofi could already guess about what, which was why she spoke before Abby had a chance to even get her words out. "You didn't hear what he said," she said.

"I can guess," said Abby.

"Trust me, Nick had every right to punch him."

"Don't you think he's being harsh?"

Sofi shook her head. "He told me that you didn't agree with him or Helen," she said.

"I don't," said Abby.

"Then why are you here trying to justify his actions?"

Abby sighed. "Do you think Ryan would agree with us?" she asked. "He always seemed to prefer shooting the creatures to saving them."

"Ryan was only following orders," said Sofi. "Besides, I think he would agree on keeping this all a secret if it meant protecting innocent lives. He saw active service in Desert Storm, Abby, so if he's willing to put his life on the line to protect humans from other humans, what makes you think he wouldn't do it for humans against animals?"

"I know, I just..." Abby shook her head.

Sofi sighed and set down her pen. "Look, I'm going to miss Stephen, too, but he's made his bed. We should let him lie in it."

Abby looked like she wanted to argue but the lab doors opening prevented her from doing so. She turned and found Cutter and Connor staring at both her and Sofi. "What's the matter?" she asked, sensing the urgency in their expressions.

"Come with us," said Nick. "There's something we need to do."

Sofi frowned and caught Abby's eye. She shrugged and slipped from her seat and followed Nick and Connor outside. She made an automatic beeline for her car but stopped as Nick called out to her, waving her over to his own. Confused, but in no position to argue, Sofi headed over and climbed into the back seat with Abby.

The drive was short and tense. Neither Cutter nor Connor was saying anything, and Abby and Sofi kept shooting each other anxious looks. Soon, they arrived at an old church in South London, and Cutter drove around to park behind it.

"This is it," said Cutter, getting out. "Come on. We don't have much time."

"Much time for what?" Sofi asked, unable to contain herself any longer. Nick was starting to freak her out.

But Sofi didn't get a reply. Instead, Nick led her, and the others, towards the front of the church and told them to hide behind the first pew. Sofi ducked down first, sitting cross-legged on the floor with her back resting against the wall. She looked up as Cutter sat beside her, then Connor, and finally Abby at the end.

"Why are we in a church?" Sofi asked.

Cutter turned to Connor and fixed with a pointed look.

"I thought a dramatic setting might be appropriate," said Connor.

"Why? Were you hoping for divine intervention?" Cutter asked.

Sofi frowned. "That doesn't answer my question," she said.

"I'll explain later," Cutter told her.

Leaning closer to Connor, Abby dropped her voice to barely a whisper. "You'd better pray Caroline doesn't hurt Rex," she said.

Connor's face dropped and he whipped around to stare at her.

"Why does Caroline know about Rex?" Nick asked.

Connor exhaled deeply. "Um... Thing is, me and Caroline..." he started.

"Yeah. Broke up," Abby said, nodding.

"Yep," Connor confirmed.

Sofi raised an eyebrow. "What does that have to do with Rex?" she asked.

"She's stolen him," Abby answered.

Connor stared, slack-jawed at the blonde. "Oh, for..." he sighed, unable to believe she would drop him in hot water like this.

"What... What kind of girl steals your lizard when you split up?" Cutter asked, unable to comprehend what he was hearing.

Abby grinned, and Sofi couldn't help but do the same. The question was valid and the situation was an unusual one.

"Um, well, she doesn't actually know how unusual he is," Connor admitted.

"What if she gives him to someone who does?" Cutter asked.

"You're right, I..." Connor stammered.

"Yeah, so get him back," Cutter insisted.

Connor nodded and shot Abby an unamused look. He slid further down the wall and then checked the detector in his hand. "It should be any minute now," he said.

"Can someone tell us why we're here?" Abby asked.

Cutter sighed and looked between the two women. "Connor reset the anomaly detector," he explained. "A false alarm went ff exactly fifteen minutes ago."

"There hasn't been an alarm," Abby said.

"That's because it was diverted first to the person who's been sabotaging the detector," Nick answered.

"They'll be coming here, right now, expecting an anomaly," said Connor.

"Next person through the door is our traitor."

Sofi glanced over the back of the pew and eyed the door. "Why didn't we bring Jayden or someone from the army with us?" she asked. "What are we supposed to do against a traitor that has half the SAS on their side?"

Nick held up a pistol that he had taken from the ARC armoury. "I got us covered," he said, loading it.

"That's not going to be enough firepower against several semi-automatic rifles," said Sofi, shaking her head. "We'll be dead before you can even pull the trigger."

"It's better than nothing," said Nick.

Several uneventful minutes passed, and still, no one arrived at the church. The door remained stationary in its frame. Connor reached for a hymn book from the pew behind him, opened it to a random song and started to sing, with Abby joining in soon after; while Sofi played on her phone.

Nick glanced over the teenager's shoulder and saw that she was in a message with Sam. "How's Ryan?" he asked.

"Still unconscious."

"I'm sorry."

"Why?" Sofi asked. "You didn't get him attacked."

"I know, but I'm sorry you're hurting."

Sofi looked up from her phone and met Nick's gaze. "Life is messy, Nick," she said. "We can't protect ourselves from the hurt if we want to experience the good."

"Did you get that from a fortune cookie?" Nick asked, smiling.

"My foster mother used to say it," said Sofi. "After they told me that my dad had died. She would say it to me when I was feeling down, or upset. I never truly understood what she meant, but now I do."

Nick offered a small smile and wrapped his arm around Sofi, allowing her to rest her head on his shoulder. "Ryan's got a reason to live," he said, kissing the top of her head. "He'll come back to you, Sof."

"I hope so," Sofi murmured.

Suddenly the door to the church opened and several footsteps rushed inside. Sofi lifted her head and met Nick's gaze. He quickly released her and they both peered over the top of the pew behind them, watching as a handful of SAS soldiers, Jayden and Graham included, rushed inside and secured the area.

Behind them, dressed smartly in a black leather skirt and white button-up blouse, came Jenny.

Sofi felt Nick tense beside her and turned to look at him.

"It's Jenny," Connor whispered.

"It can't be Jenny!" Sofi replied. "She didn't know anything about the ARC or the anomalies until a few months ago. Whoever our traitor is has been planning this for a lot longer."

"Then how do you explain this?" Abby asked.

Sofi shook her head. She couldn't explain it, but she knew deep inside that Jenny was being set up, just like they were.

"So where is it then?" Jenny asked, her voice echoing around the hall.

Nick stood, quickly, startling several soldiers and stormed out from behind the pew. He charged at Jenny, his face contorting in anger. "You!" he spat.

"Where's the anomaly?" Jenny asked.

"There isn't one."

"Then why are we here?"

"That's a good question," said Nick. "I give you ten seconds to answer it."

Jenny stopped and frowned at Cutter. "I knew you were odd, but this is extreme even by your standards," she said.

"The alarm was false!" Cutter shouted. His voice ringing loudly. "The only way you could've known about it was if you created a diversion between the detector and your own computer." He reached into the back of his jacket and pulled out the gun, aiming it directly at Jenny.

"Nick!" Sofi called, running out from behind the pew.

Every soldier raised their rifles and aimed them directly at Cutter.

"Sir, I must ask you to lower your weapon!" Graham said, stepping up behind Jenny.

Nick ignored him. "What do you want?" he asked Jenny.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Jenny said. "All I know is I was told to bring as many men as possible to this address to deal with a high-priority anomaly."

"Who told you that?" Nick asked.

"I'm not very good at talking with a gun in my face, so put it down and we'll discuss this rationally," said Jenny. Despite the situation, she still managed to sound authoritative.

Nick didn't waver. He merely crept closer until the gun was touching Jenny's head.

"I said who sent you!" Nick yelled.

"Sir, this is your last chance!" Graham warned.

Nick cocked the pistol and pulled the trigger in, slightly. He didn't want to kill Jenny, but if she had betrayed them then he would in order to protect the team.

"Sir, lower your weapon," Graham ordered for the third time. "Lower your weapon at once."

Suddenly, Sofi gasped. "It's not her!" she announced, loudly. "Nick, it's not her!" she rushed forward, swinging herself around so that she was standing between him and Jenny. She grabbed his gun arm and looked up into his face.

"Sofi," Jayden warned. "What are you doing? Get out of the way."

Sofi ignored him. She only had eyes for Nick. As Sofi rambled, Nick's gaze remained locked on Jenny.

"Remember what I said just now? About how it can't be Jenny because she hasn't been with us long enough," said Sofi. "The person who has betrayed us has been with us since the beginning, They've known about the anomalies for a long time, and managed to come up with a plan in order to exploit them and the creatures."

"If it's not her, then who?" Nick asked, his voice shaking in anger.

"Think about it," said Sofi. "Who is in charge of the day-to-day runnings of the anomalies? Who is it that takes it upon himself to re-route any anomaly alerts to his personal computer? The same person that sends the co-ordinates to the field team when they're not at the ARC. Who else knew enough about the detector to sabotage it other than the person Connor reported too?"

Connor gasped. "Wait a minute, you're saying he -?" he broke off as Sofi nodded at him. "That sneaky little..."

"This was his plan all along. He's been right under our noses and we didn't even know," said Sofi, shaking her head, "It's Leek, Nick. Oliver Leek."

Nick looked between Sofi and Jenny, his gun still aimed at her face. "Is she right?" he asked.

Jenny swallowed and nodded.

Finally, Nick lowered the gun.

Sofi let out a sigh of relief.

Jayden lowered his weapon and stormed over to Sofi, grabbing her arm. "I swear, I'm going to put a leash on you!" he grumbled. "Don't you ever do something like that again."

"It worked, didn't it?" Sofi asked, easing her arm out from his grasp. "Nick didn't shoot Jenny, and you didn't shoot him."

"This," said Graham, approaching and tapping Sofi on the head. "Is going to get you killed one day."

Sofi cocked her head to the side. "I may have solved this conundrum," she said, turning back to Nick. "But it's not over. If Leek has sent Jenny here with backup, where is he?"

"We've got to get back to the ARC," said Nick, his face igniting with realisation.

**~X~**

Upon arrival at the ARC, the team found Lester being checked over by a medic. He looked relieved that they were back and immediately started questioning Cutter on what the hell was going on while Abby and Connor approached the detector, and Jenny turned to Sofi.

"How did you know?" Jenny asked.

"Know what?"

"That it wasn't me."

Sofi shrugged. "I profiled you and the situation," she said. "You didn't know anything about this place or what we did until Lester hired you a few months ago, and that's not nearly enough time to study these occurrences and get a good grasp on what they are and can do. I mean, we've been studying these anomalies for almost a year now, and we still can't figure them out."

"You seem to have done a good enough job," said Jenny.

"What I have are just theories," said Sofi. "There's no proof, and until I have proof, I will never know what's going on. But Leek is different. He may not understand what the anomalies are for or why they're opening, but that doesn't matter to him. He's using them to fuel his power play."

"He wants to be in charge of the ARC?"

"The ARC, Parliament, does it matter?" Sofi asked. "As long as he has an unlimited amount of creatures that can terrorise the country, all he has to do is sit back and watch." She paused suddenly, her eyes widening.

Jenny frowned. "Sofi, what is it?" she asked.

"Stephen."

"Stephen?" Jenny repeated. "What's Stephen got to do with this?"

Sofi shook her head. "Maybe nothing," she said. "But, this is along the lines of what he meant when he said the public should know. If they knew about the creatures, if they knew how to combat them, then they could protect themselves and their families from tyrants like Leek."

"You think we should tell people about the creatures now?"

"No, of course not," said Sofi. "I'm just saying I understand. Stephen's not the only one who shared this view, Helen did too."

"You think she's involved?"

Sofi shrugged. "Wouldn't be surprised," she said. "Helen's always involved in something that gives her an advantage over the rest of us. But she doesn't care about whether the public knows about the ARC or the creatures. I think she's using Leek for something else."

"Can you guess what?"

"Unfortunately, no," said Sofi. "I can only speculate."

Jenny nodded. "You know? People like Lester, Jayden and Graham told me about you, and how your 'superpower' works," she smiled. "But they don't give you half enough of the credit you deserve. That brain of yours is amazing, dangerous. But amazing."

Sofi smiled. "Thanks," she whispered.

"You're welcome."

As Jenny walked away to confront Nick, Sofi approached Abby and Connor at the detector. "What are you doing?" she asked.

"Trying to track down Leek," Abby answered.

"By hacking into his personal files?"

"I'm looking for clues," said Connor. "We can't all be brain boxes, you know."

Sofi smiled at his teasing. "Obviously know you're way around," she said, watching as Connor easily skimmed through the files.

"Mmm-hmm," Connor murmured, preoccupied.

Sofi shot Abby a quizzical look. "Hack into them regularly, do you?" she asked.

"Oh, yeah," Connor said, oblivious to the trap he was walking into. "You'd be amazed how much Lester gets paid."

"What's my IQ?"

"180."

Connor froze. His fingers hovered above the keys. Abby's eyes widened and she looked between the two, realising Connor's mistake.

"You told me that once before?" Connor asked, sheepishly.

"I don't like discussing my IQ with anyone," said Sofi. "Not even my foster family knows it."

"Stay out of my personal files, Connor," Sofi warned.

Connor nodded numbly.

Abby smirked and turned to Sofi. "180?" she asked.

"Please don't go there," Sofi whispered, shaking her head.

Abby's smirk faltered and she nodded, turning back to the detector. From the corner of her eye, she saw Sofi fidgeting uncomfortably.

"Oh, look," said Connor, after tapping in a username and password before hitting enter. "Got it!" he shouted over his shoulder. All over the ARC, those who were left crowded around. "Password? Leek..."

Access denied.

"Lester..."

Access denied.

"Predator..."

Access denied.

Connor grunted in frustration. "What about his mother's maiden name? They always use that," he said, looking to Lester for help.

"Murphy," Lester replied.

Access denied.

"Anomaly," Nick suggested.

"It's way too obvious," Connor said, shaking his head.

"Like the others haven't been?" Jayden asked.

Connor made a murmur of agreement and typed in the word.

Access denied.

"Oh come!" Connor whined.

"Try Sofi," Graham said.

Sofi frowned at the Lieutenant. "Me?" she asked. "Why me."

"I have a hunch."

Still frowning, Sofi turned to Connor who shrugged and typed in the four-letter name. The detector beeped and the screen changed.

"Oh, look. We're in!" Connor announced.

"It's a bomb!" Nick said suddenly, taking everyone by surprise. "Everybody get out now."

Nobody moved, they just stood staring at Nick like he had lost his mind. A bomb? In the ARC? What kind of madness was this?

"GET OUT!" Cutter yelled.

The group jumped and rushed back towards the doors. Sofi stopped as Jayden remained by the detector. "What are you doing?" she asked him and Graham.

"We can't leave," said Graham. "It's our job to make sure everyone is out. You need to go."

"Not without you both," said Sofi. "Ryan..."

"Would tell you to do the exact same thing," said Graham. "Now go. We'll meet you outside."

Sofi hesitated looking from Graham to Jayden and back again. "Please," she begged.

"Sofi, I won't ask you again," said Graham. "Get out, now! That's an order!"

Realising she wasn't about to win this argument, Sofi turned and left the main ops room. She raced down the corridor and out into the car park, meeting up with Abby and Jenny just beyond the doors.

"Why would Leek plant a bomb in the ARC?" Lester asked, wandering over.

"All this happened after we accessed his personal file," said Abby.

Sofi snapped her fingers. "That's it," she said. "Leek knew we'd come after him, so he's booby-trapped the file. The minute we gained entry it sent an alert to the bomb under the van to detonate."

"But he didn't expect us to realise or find it," said Jenny.

"Maybe," said Sofi. "Or, maybe he did and he's got a back-up plan."

"Why did your name unlock his file?" Abby asked, curiously.

Sofi shrugged. "I don't know," she said. "Graham was the one who suggested my name, he said he had a hunch. But he's still inside, so I can't ask him."

"Why are Cutter and Connor still inside?" Jenny asked. "Why tell us to evacuate and remain behind themselves?"

"Nick is probably trying to disarm it," said Sofi.

"What makes him think he can do that?"

"I don't know. But think about it," said Sofi. "If the bomb goes off then we lose the ARC and everything in it, the detector, my research, everything."

"Leek planned for this," said Abby.

Sofi nodded.

**~X~**

With the bomb disarmed and the threat of an explosion neutralised, the ARC returned to normal. The team returned to work, and Sofi found herself in her lab with device that Leek had used to control the future Predator with. She had been studying it for over an hour and was sure that she understood it almost as well as Leek did.

Once she was happy with her findings, Sofi called for the others to join her. She waited, going over her notes as they all filed in and crowded around the table. Jenny was the last to arrive. She carried a blue folder under her arm as she closed the door behind her.

"What is it?" Jenny asked.

"It's a neural clamp," Sofi answered. "It was surgically implanted into the skull of the predator. From what I can tell, the clamp is linked to the central nervous system, and it's operated by remote radio signals. It was probably used to disrupted the protons and neutrons inside the predator's brain and allowed Leek to input new ones containing his orders. It's how he managed to control it."

"I've never seen anything this advanced before," said Connor.

Sofi shook her head. "Neither have I," she agreed.

"Yeah, Leek isn't this smart," said Cutter.

"You mean, he hotwired its brain by remote control," said Abby, realising what Sofi had been trying to say.

Sofi nodded.

"Which is where he's made a mistake," said Cutter, looking out of the lab window. "Any incoming radio signals are picked up by the detector, right?"

"Yeah," Connor nodded.

"So, all we would have to do is track where this signal is transmitted from..."

"And that's where we'll find Leek," Jenny concluded.

Cutter nodded.

"I'm on it," Connor said, leaving the lab and heading for the detector.

Abby lingered behind. "Should we call Stephen?" she asked Cutter, tentatively.

"Stephen's made his bed, let him lie in it," Cutter told her.

Sofi met Abby's gaze as Cutter echoed her exact words from an hour ago.

As Abby left completely, Cutter turned to Sofi. "Good job," he said, patting her on the shoulder.

"Thanks."

Cutter nodded and left the lab, too.

A few minutes later, there was the rushing of footfalls outside the lab door. Sofi looked up to see several SAS soldiers run past, their rifles over their shoulders. She blinked as Jayden passed, pausing for a brief moment to duck inside the doors.

"What's going on?" Sofi asked.

"We've got a lock on Leek," said Jayden. "We're going in heavy."

"Alright. I'll grab my stuff and meet you in the car," said Sofi.

Jayden shook his head. "No, not you," he said.

"But you said 'we'."

"We, as in the SAS and Lester."

"Lester? In the field?" Sofi repeated.

Jayden nodded.

"Why do you have to go?"

"Because Lester is right," said Jayden. "This is an operation for Military personnel only. You're a civilian. Stay here, please. I can't stress that enough."

Sofi stared at her best friend and then sighed. "Alright," she said, nodding. "I'll stay here."

"Good. I'll be back soon."

"Be careful!" Sofi called after him as he ducked back out of the lab, and raced out to the carpark. She sighed and looked down at the clamp in her hand. She hated being left behind when her friends were putting themselves in harm's way. Being stuck here was only going to make her mind wander, and conjure up scenarios for her to panic over.

The door opened for the third time and Nick popped his head inside. "We're heading out, you coming?" he asked.

"Where are you going?" Sofi asked.

"Would you come if I told you it was a surprise?"

Sofi shook her head. "During the last surprise you pointed a gun at Jenny," she said.

Cutter chuckled. "Alright, fair point," he said. "Connor managed to track down Caroline, we're going to get Rex. You coming?"

"Sure. Got nothing better to do."

**~X~**

Connor's coordinates led them to a derelict building site on the outskirts of the city. It was so far out of the way that it took them around an hour to get there.

"Are you sure about this?" Abby asked, looking around. "Doesn't look like the sort of place Caroline would hang out."

"Maybe it's some kind of retreat," Connor suggested, inspecting the handheld detector. "She was always very spiritual."

"Or maybe you just messed up," Jenny interrupted, folding her arms.

Connor shook his head. "No. This is the place," he said, leading the others in the direction that the handheld was telling him to go. "This way..." he walked ahead with the girls' following close behind.

Sofi swung her arms around as she turned in a circle, looking high and lower for any signs of Rex or even another human. She paused as movement in one of the upstairs windows caught her attention, but when she looked again there was nothing.

"You okay?" Nick asked.

"I thought I saw something," said Sofi.

Nick looked towards the window she was looking at. "I don't see anything," he said.

"Must be my mind playing tricks on me," said Sofi, shaking her head. "Or this place is making me paranoid."

Nick chuckled and patted her shoulder. "Come on," he said, leading her over to the side of a building where the others had gathered. Connor was trying to look through the forest glass window as Nick pulled the fire exit door open.

"That's Caroline's purse," said Connor, spotting a brown satchel on the floor. He picked it up and rummaged through it, finding her phone at the bottom.

"This means Rex is here somewhere," Abby grinned. "Come on, let's find him!"

Connor nodded and dropped the bag back onto the ground. He lit his torch and followed Abby further into the building.

"I don't like this," said Sofi, picking up Caroline's purse and phone. "I don't like this at all."

"What is it?" Jenny asked.

Sofi turned to her. "Would you leave your purse and phone out in the open like this?" she asked.

Jenny shook her head.

"Exactly! There is no woman that I know of that would willingly leave her things like this," said Sofi. "I think this is a trap."

"A trap? For who?"

"Cutter?" Connor called from somewhere ahead.

Sofi tensed and looked around at Nick. "Now I definitely don't like this," she whispered.

"Stick close to me," Cutter said, taking her hand and tugging her along the corridor. They reached an open door about three-quarters of the way down and peered inside.

A rifle cocked. Followed by a second, a third, and a fourth.

Four heavily armed gun-men stood inside the room. Two of them had their weapons trained on Abby and Connor, while the last two, one of which was Aaron Black, had their guns trained on the door.

Aaron grinned at Sofi. "Hey, Sof, how's the head?" he asked.

Sofi glanced at Nick.

Leek stood off to the side, next to the window, a condescending smile on his face. His gaze lifted to meet Cutter's and then flickered to Sofi. "I'm surprised you didn't see this coming," he taunted. "Maybe you're not as smart as everyone believes."

Sofi shrugged. "Depends on your point of view," she said.

Leek sneered.

Then there was a sudden pain. Someone had hit her in the back of the head. It was followed by a scream, Sofi couldn't be sure who it was, but it sounded female so probably Abby or Jenny, and then the darkness came.

**To Be Continued...**


	13. Collision Course Part II

**Then:**

_"Maybe you're not as smart as everyone believes."_

_"Depends on your point of view."_

* * *

**Now...**

"Hey, careful, you're alright," said Nick, gently pulling Sofi into a sitting position. Since being knocked out the youngster had missed out on a lot. She had missed seeing what Leek had in store for the creatures he had captured from the past and future anomalies, she had missed seeing Helen Cutter, and she had even missed being transported to an old and dingy cell.

Sofi groaned as she slouched back against the wall. "What happened?" she grumbled, pressing a hand to her head. It was throbbing and felt like it had been whacked by an aluminium bat.

"Black hit you," Jenny answered. "Do you want me to take a look?"

Gingerly, Sofi reached back and dabbed her fingers against the swollen welt. She withdrew it and sighed in relief at the fact that she was not bleeding. "I think it may be a minor concussion," she said. "I feel slightly dizzy and sick. I should be fine in a bit."

"You tell us if you're not, alright?" Jenny said.

"Yeah. I will," said Sofi. She would've nodded, but right now movement was the last thing she wanted to endure. She closed her eyes and pressed the balls of her hands into them. She waited a few seconds, listening to the heavy breathing of both Nick and Jenny. She then became aware of the coldness against her back. "Are we in a cell?" she asked.

"Yep," said Nick.

Jenny stood and started to pace. "What are Leek and Helen up to?" she asked. "All those creatures."

"Helen is here?" Sofi asked.

"Yeah. You were right to think that she was working with Leek," said Jenny.

Cutter turned to his student. "You thought Helen was working with Leek?" he asked.

"I speculated," Sofi said, nodding. She quickly explained her theory to Nick. He sat for a few seconds in silence after she had finished.

"Possible," Nick said, finally.

"All those creatures," Jenny continued. "Why are they here? What are they going to do with them?"

"Well, I could guess, but what's the point?" Nick asked. "It's going to be okay. Helen's not interested in you."

Sofi looked around the cell. "Is she interested in me?" she asked, curiously.

"Maybe," Nick said with a small shrug.

"We wouldn't even be in this mess if you could keep your wife under control," Jenny said, pointing at Cutter.

Cutter chuckled.

"You know what I mean," Jenny sighed, exasperatedly.

"I hope your fiance knows you're such an old-fashioned girl," said Nick.

Jenny swallowed hard, looking guilty. "For your information, I don't have a fiance any more," she admitted.

"Why? What happened?" Nick asked.

Jenny shrugged. "This job," she said. "He thought I'd met someone else," she scoffed. "Couldn't very well tell him it wasn't another man, so much as a something-osaurus. Anyway, the truth of the matter is I've been feeling... different recently."

Sofi raised her head and looked up at Jenny. The older woman had made eye contact with Nick and Sofi suddenly felt like a third wheel.

"Can we talk about this another time?" Jenny asked, tearing her gaze away.

"I didn't start it," Nick defended.

"It's not like we haven't got anything else to worry about," said Jenny. "Imminent death, for example."

"It's okay," Nick said, reassuringly. "We're not going to die. Helen's a lot of things, but she's not a killer."

"You really think she's in charge here?" Jenny asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, Leek doesn't have the wit to do this on his own," Nick said, "Whatever Leek's planning to do with those creatures, Helen will have her own agenda."

Jenny looked between him and Sofi. "That's what you said, didn't you, Sofi?" she asked.

Sofi looked up. "I'd nod, but it hurts," she said.

"Lester says she's mad," Jenny said.

"Aren't all the best people?" Sofi asked.

Nick chuckled but shook his head. "Helen isn't mad," he said. "She's extraordinary."

"Extraordinary? She tried to kill you."

"No, no, no, no, that was Leek," said Nick, shaking his head. "Bombs aren't Helen's style."

"But hostage-taking is?"

"Well, she must have her reasons."

Sofi met Jenny's gaze and shrugged.

"God. Anyone would think you're still in love with the woman," said Jenny, almost accusingly.

Nick paused. "Yeah, probably am," he said.

"What?!" Sofi asked, straightening up. She instantly regretted the decision as blood rushed straight to her head, causing her world to swim.

"It's not so much to do with love or hate anymore," Nick explained. "It goes much deeper than that. We shared something that was unique. We connected. There's nothing I can do about it."

As silence filled the cell again, Sofi tilted her head towards Nick and rested it comfortably on his shoulder.

**~X~**

Sofi wasn't sure how long they sat in the cell. She could vaguely remember dozing off once or twice, only to awaken to Jenny and Cutter passing conversation about Helen, Leek, the creatures, or even about what they were going to do with them. At one point, Sofi remembered asking about Connor and Abby, but couldn't remember if she had received a response.

As her eyes drooped for the third time, Sofi was startled awake by the cell door opening and an armed soldier stepped inside. He held them at gunpoint and ordered them to their feet.

Sofi lifted her head as Nick stood, taking his hand as he held it out to her and carefully helped her back to her feet. She stumbled slightly, but his arm around her waist held her firmly on her feet.

"Walk," the soldier ordered.

Without questioning where they were heading, Nick led Sofi and Jenny out of the cell. Another soldier was waiting in the hall. He led them down the long corridor, through the winding underground, and finally coming out onto a platform where Helen was waiting for them.

"It's time we talked," Helen said.

Nick crossed Sofi over to the wall and leant her against it, making sure she was safe to stand on her own. "What about?" he asked Helen.

Helen didn't answer. Instead, she was staring at Jenny. "Fascinating," she whispered. "The same as Claudia in every external detail - eyes, hair. In all visible ways she's the same woman, yet she's completely different."

"Back off," Jenny spat as Helen reached out to stroke her cheek.

"A little more aggressive, perhaps, than the original," Helen grinned. She turned her back on Jenny and faced her husband. "Claudia Brown becomes Jenny Lewis. A new person with a new identity. Interesting. As though nature allows only so much variation."

"Listen, you can still save yourself," said Jenny. "Help us, and I'll make sure Lester goes easy on you."

Helen chuckled. "I think you'll be happier with your friends," she said. She nodded at the soldier behind Jenny, and he reached for the woman's arm, turning her away. He reached out to drag Sofi away, but Helen stopped him. "Not her. She stays."

Sofi frowned as she looked from Jenny to Helen and back again. Why did she get to stay if Jenny was being led away?

"Come on," said Helen, turning away. "There's something you're going to want to see."

"Where have they taken Jenny?" Nick asked.

"And the others?" Sofi asked. "Abby and Connor?"

"They're quite safe," Helen answered.

"Yeah? So, what's this all about?" Nick asked.

"A fresh start," Helen replied. "A new and better future."

Sofi frowned and stopped walking. "None of us knows what the future holds in order to change it," she said.

"No?" Helen asked, cocking her head to the side. "You think living with Predators is easy? Come now, Sofi, you've seen what they are capable of. Do you really think humanity stood a chance with them around?"

"Humanity is a lot stronger than it's given credit for," said Sofi. "Regardless of what predators are around, we're always at the top of the food chain."

"You have no idea how wrong you are."

Sofi stared at Helen. The older woman smirked and turned away. "The world changed in a new direction once before," she said. "Your friend Jenny proves that if we can control the anomalies, we can make it happen again. Doesn't that excite you?"

"No," Nick and Sofi said, simultaneously.

"We don't want to change the world, Helen," Nick said, stepping closer to his wife. "I can't speak for Sofi, but I happen to think it's rather beautiful just the way it is."

"I may disagree with a few certain species, but the planet as a whole is amazing," said Sofi.

Nick smiled softly. He then turned his attention back to Helen. "Do you know what happens when we interfere, the damage we can cause?" he asked.

"Can't damage the future, Nick. We can only alter it," said Helen.

A snarl escaped the container beside them and suddenly a predator lashed out. It stopped short, its head twisting from left to right and it's jaws snapping at the three of them. On its head, lodged into its skull was the blinking red light that Sofi had examined from the one that had attacked Lester at the ARC.

"It can't hurt you," Helen said, as Nick stared wide-eyed at the Predator. "Not unless Leek orders it to."

"It's the neural clamp," said Sofi. "It overrides its instincts."

Helen smiled brightly at Sofi. "Exactly," she said.

"You found this technology in the future and you gave it to Leek?" Sofi asked.

"I discovered a lot of things," Helen whispered. "You can, too, if you want." She walked backwards away from the predator. "Come on, I'll take you to Leek."

Nick moved to follow after Helen, but Sofi stayed planted beside the predator. She stared up at it, and it stared right back. She knew how it worked, knew that it could sense her heartbeat inside her chest. Her gaze was drawn to the clamp, and Sofi couldn't help but feel a twinge of sympathy for the creature. It may have been an apex predator, and it probably wouldn't have hesitated in killing her, but this reason right here was why she hated humanity.

No matter the creature - predator or prey - humanity always looked for a way to exploit them.

"Sofi," Nick called.

Tearing her gaze away, Sofi hurried after him.

**~X~**

"If it's me you really want to talk to, why don't you just let the others go?" Nick asked. He was standing inside a blacked-out room, leaning against an illuminated table. Behind him, standing on either side of the room, were two armed soldiers, and Sofi was alongside him, her gaze sweeping the place every few seconds.

"The last time the world changed, it was an accident," said Helen. "But we can repeat that accident as an experiment under controlled conditions."

"So, what you want to do is you want to change the present just to see what happens in the future?" Nick concluded.

Helen grinned. "I knew you'd understand," she said.

"What happens if you destroy the human race during this experiment?" Nick asked.

"Then we bring it back again!" Helen chuckled.

Sofi shook her head. "But a hypothesis doesn't work like that!" she said. "You can't just jump straight into final trials without a run-up. If anything goes wrong, there'll be nothing for you to change, nothing to bring back. You can't mess with time like that!"

"Oh, Sofi, Sofi, Sofi," said Helen, shaking her head. "You have no idea how naive you're sounding. I thought you'd be excited by these trials."

"I don't want to be a part of your experiment!" Sofi snapped. "We're not lab rats!"

"This is why I believe the anomalies started to appear in the first place," said Helen. "So that we could help create the future."

"No," said Nick, interrupting. "No, look, everything,  _everything_  in nature is the result of random selection. Now, if we start to disrupt that perfect balance, then life just begins to unravel."

"I disagree," Helen said. Her gazes flickered to Sofi. "Do you?"

Sofi shook her head. "No, I don't. I believe that the anomalies are a force of nature, something that just cannot be controlled. The future? We create our own future through the decisions and choices that we make in the present."

"Shall we see who's right?" Helen asked.

A door opened somewhere nearby, and Sofi turned to see Leek enter the room. He was escorted by a heavily armed Aaron Black.

"What are they doing here?" Leek asked, sighing.

"I invited them," Helen answered.

"Well, never mind," said Leek, walking around Nick and Sofi. He stopped in front of his laptop and pressed the enter key. "I wanted them to see this, anyway."

Sofi edged closer to Nick and felt him place a hand on her waist. He squeezed gently and reassuringly.

The laptop purred to life, powering up the numerous screens above it. All that was displayed was the information that the ARC had collected over the last few months.

"Give away our locations and your friends die," said Leek.

The computers flickered for a few moments as if connecting a call, and suddenly James Lester's face appeared on the four screens. " _Is it Cutter?_ " he asked.

"I'm afraid not," Leek replied. "But Cutter's here with me and so are the others. They're fine, for now."

" _It's only a matter of time until we track you down, Leek_ ," said Lester. " _If you don't release them..._ "

"Listen to me," Leek interrupted. "An hour ago, I released a Silurian-era scorpion into a well-known holiday resort."

Sofi's eyes widened and she looked around at Cutter.

"I can tell from your face it's already made an impact," Leek continued. "I've positioned another dozen creatures in similar locations."

Lester hesitated. " _Go on,_ " he finally said.

"Call off the search, or I shall let them go one by one," Leek threatened.

" _What is it you really want, Leek?_ " Lester asked. " _Is it money?_ "

"I'll be in touch.

" _What about the scorpion?_

Leek heaved an over-zealous sigh. "Well, I guess that's your problem," he said, before hanging up completely.

"Money? Money?!" Cutter exploded as soon as the call ended. He rounded on Helen. "That's what this is about?"

"The anomalies are unstoppable now," said Leek, drawing Cutter's attention back to him, "and in the future, the money will not mean very much, but knowledge and power will, and I intend to be very, very powerful."

Sofi scoffed.

Leek glanced at her. "What?" he snapped,

"The only knowledge and power you have, Leek, comes from others," said Sofi. "Your knowledge is limited to what Helen has learned, and your power comes from the armed men that you hide behind. You're still small and insignificant."

Leek's lips curled into a nasty snarl. "Maybe so," he said, taking Sofi by surprise. She hadn't expected him to agree. "But then, I have you. I'm willing to bet the ARC will pay anything to have you back. Even my freedom."

"Don't count on it," Sofi hissed.

"You knew all about this and yet you still helped him?" Cutter asked Helen.

"I need the right environment to conduct my research," Helen admitted.

Sofi met Cutter's gaze and shook her head. She couldn't believe what she was hearing, much less seeing.

A siren echoed through the computer monitors.

"What? What's going on?" Nick asked, leaning against the table beside Leek and inspecting one of the four screens. It showed a concrete arena with four people inside. Sofi gasped as she realised the four people were, in fact, Abby, Connor, Jenny, and Caroline.

" _What's happening?_ " Caroline asked. She sounded scared and Sofi couldn't blame her.

" _Nothing good,_ " Connor answered.

"We underestimated you, Oliver," Nick said, his gaze remaining fixed on the screens. "You're a lot smarter than we gave you credit for. Right, Sofi?"

Sofi's jaw tightened as she glared at Leek.

"Sofi, now isn't the time to be arrogant," said Nick. "Admit you were wrong about him."

Sofi took a deep breath. "Yes," she said, her facing twisting as if she'd swallowed something disgusting. "I was wrong."

Leek smirked. "I'm not sure I believe you," he said.

"I don't care," said Sofi. "I'm not repeating myself."

"Shame. Hearing you admit you're wrong is one of my favourite past times."

Sofi felt her fingernails cutting into her palms.

"When did you figure out that we'd rigged the anomaly detector?" Nick asked.

"Well, it wasn't difficult to see that you'd found my spyware," Leek answered. "After that, all I needed to do was remotely upload a modification from my laptop. Simple, really."

"No, I never saw that coming."

Sofi glanced at Nick. What was he playing at?

"No, of course, you didn't," Leek sighed. "But if you think that paying me compliments is going to buy your friends any more time, I'm afraid you're mistaken." He shook his head and turned back to the monitors.

Sofi looked back around. "What are you doing?" she asked.

"I think the Americans call it 'dinner theatre'," Leek answered. He tapped three more keys before hitting enter.

Sofi's eyes widened as a concealed panel opened up and a sabre-toothed cat lumbered out. It snarled and bared its teeth at the four humans in the centre of the room. "No..." she cried, running to the table and leaning forward.

" _Oh, we've got to get out!_ " Caroline panicked, backing away from the group. " _Let me out!_ "

" _No!_ " Abby said, rushing to bring Caroline back into the group. " _We have to stick together. It'll pick off any stragglers first. Stay together._ "

" _Don't worry, guys. Cutter and Sofi will get us out of this_ ," said Connor.

" _Well, they'd better do soon,_ " said Jenny.

Sofi whirled around to face Leek. "Stop it!" she hissed. "What do you want me to do? Do you want me to beg? Alright, I'll beg! You want me to admit that you were right and I was wrong? Done. I'll do whatever you want, just let them go!"

Leek laughed. "I find it amusing that you think you can appeal to my sense of morality, Sofi," he said. "Besides, what makes you think I care what you say to me? I don't need your appraisal. Although, hearing you beg for your friend's lives would be enjoyable to watch. The answer would still be no, of course."

Sofi lunged for Leek but stopped as Aaron Black grabbed her around the waist and hauled her back. She struggled against him, but he held his pistol to her head.

"Not yet," Leek ordered. "I want her to see what I'm going to do with her friends before we kill her."

Aaron turned Sofi back to the monitors, holding, not only his pistol to her temple but her neck firmly in his grasp and making it impossible for her to turn away.

Sofi felt her heart hammering in her chest as Abby broke away from the group, staring the sabre-tooth down in determination. Suddenly the keyboard sparked, and Aaron pulled back, taking Sofi with him as a second soldier grabbed Nick around the chest with his gun, knocking him in the ribs.

"Cutter, that's pathetic!" Leek laughed, picking up his tablet. "I just patch my laptop up to the mainframe," he slid his finger effortlessly across the screen, "and I still have complete control over the..."

_**Warning! Warning! System breach.** _

"Don't bother," Nick wheezed. The blow to his chest had winded him. "Connor planted a virus in the detector. He downloaded it to your laptop when you hacked in. In a couple of minutes, the whole system's going to be paralysed."

_**Security failure is imminent. Security system disabled.** _

Sofi smirked in amusement, but also at the panic rising in Leek's face. "Bet you didn't prepare for this, huh, smart guy?" she taunted.

Leek growled and turned to Aaron. "Kill her," he ordered.

"Do it, and nothing will stop Ryan, Graham, and Jayden from coming after you," said Sofi. "Not to mention my brother - Captain Becker. Do you really stand a chance against all four of them? Jayden already wants your head for what you did to me down at the marina."

Aaron hesitated, and Sofi took this as her chance. She twisted and elbowed Aaron in the stomach. He dropped his pistol and bent at the waist, gasping for air. Turning on the spot, Sofi punched him in the face, knocking him out cold.

To her left, Nick's head-butted his guard, causing him to collapse.

_**Warning. Animal containment facility offline.** _

"Are you okay?" Nick asked, turning quickly to Sofi. He checked her over for any injuries but was satisfied when he didn't find any.

"Nick, behind you!" Sofi cried. The guard that had previously held Nick captive had risen to his feet, his gaze set on the professor and an angry, deadly look in his eye.

Nick whirled around just as Helen punched the guard in the throat.

"You see, Nick? We still make a good team," Helen grinned.

With Sofi shielded behind him, Nick looked up at Helen. "We're not a team," he told her. "I'm handing you over to Lester."

"No, you won't do that," said Helen, shaking her head. "I heard what you said in the cell. I know you still love me."

"Don't flatter yourself. I said exactly what you wanted to hear."

Helen cocked her head to the side. "You knew the cell was bugged," she realised.

"I thought it might be Leek's style, so I thought I'd put on a little performance just in case," Nick said, nodding.

Helen cast her gaze aside.

"Oh, I'm sorry, honey, I didn't mean it," Nick mocked.

Helen smirked. "I don't believe you," she said.

"I don't care," Nick shrugged. He took the gun Sofi had lifted from Aaron and pointed it at Helen. "Now turn around and walk before I shoot you."

Turning her back, Helen stepped over the unconscious guard and headed for the door. She paused and turned back, smirking at Nick. "I don't think you'll do that, Nick," she said, before turning around and disappearing into the dark.

"Helen..." Nick called.

A thud from behind him causing Nick to momentarily forget about his wife, and turn to find Sofi standing over the guard. He had moved from his earlier position, where Helen had dropped him and was now laying directly between him and her.

"Remind me to thank Jayden and my brother for those self-defence lessons," said Sofi.

Nick chuckled weakly and held his hand out to her, helping her step over the guard. "Let's get you out of here," he said.

"Please," Sofi murmured, following him out of the room.

**~X~**

_**Warning! Warning! Warning!** _

_**Mainframe contacting external network.** _

_**Upload of data files commencing.** _

"I know the whole point of destroying Leek's mainframe was to stop his operation," said Sofi, following Nick down an abandoned corridor. "But, we've just unleashed a menagerie of dangerous creatures loose in an abandoned warehouse. If they reach ground level and make it out into the world, we're screwed."

"Then we need to make sure that doesn't happen," said Nick.

"How?" Sofi asked. "Sure, I get that the mainframe is feeding information to the ARC right now; but there is only so much Lester and the others can do to keep a lid on this whole thing. Then there's Jenny, how is she supposed to spin this story? Could we really get away with calling them all animatronics? What happens if they kill someone? Toys don't kill people outside of bad horror mov -"

Sofi squeaked as Nick suddenly put his hand over her mouth.

Nick pointed above him. They were still on the lowest level, and on the corridor above them, he could hear shuffling and hissing, as well as the tap, tap, tapping of a claw. He swallowed and held his breath, daring himself to not make a sound until the creature had passed on.

Finally, the creature did pass on.

Nick released Sofi and she took a deep breath. "Come on," he said, his voice low. "Up here."

"You mean up to the level where a killing machine is lurking?" Sofi asked.

"You'll be fine," Nick assured her.

"Says the one with the automatic rifle."

Despite her reluctance, Sofi started to climb. She pulled herself up onto the second floor and looked around, keeping low as not to be detected. Once up himself, Nick led Sofi down another corridor and paused as they came out into another open area.

"This place is like a maze," Sofi whined.

Nick nodded absentmindedly. He then froze and stopped dead in the middle of the room. Sofi walked into him.

"What are you doing?" Sofi asked.

"Listen," said Nick, pressing a finger to his lips.

Sofi fell silent. Then she heard it, and her blood ran cold.

A faint chattering sounded from the metal rafters above.

"Oh no..." Sofi whispered. She'd forgotten about the predators. "What do we do?"

"Run."

"What? Are you crazy!" Sofi cried. "We can't run from this thing. Running will increase our heart rate and it'll track us through our heartbeats. We should try and slow our breathing and remain calm."

Nick shot her a look.

"I know, I know," said Sofi. "Easier said than done. It's the least likely option that'll get us killed."

Laughter reached out to them through the darkness, and Leek appeared through the shadows.

"What are you laughing at?" Sofi hissed. "You're in as much danger as we are, right now."

"They won't hurt me," said Leek, shaking his head. "I control them."

"Yeah, that's what Valerie thought about the Sabre-Tooth, too, and look what happened there," said Sofi. "These creatures will always bite the hand that feeds them, that includes you, Oliver."

Leek smirked in amusement. "That's where you're wrong, Sofi," he said. "Unlike the rest of the creatures, the Predators are controlled remotely through a second server. One that I never uploaded to any mainframe."

Sofi felt Nick slid his arm around her in an attempt to push her behind him.

"Maybe I'll order them to kill you first, put you out of my misery," said Leek. "Or, better idea. I let them kill the Professor and make you watch? Proving, without a doubt, that I am more superior than you'll ever be. What do you think, Sofi? You decide."

Sofi glared at Leek.

"Or not. It doesn't matter, anyway, you're both going to die down here. It's rather poetic, don't you think? You being killed by the same creature that killed the rest of your family. Unfortunately, like theirs, your death won't be as quick."

"Go to hell!" Sofi yelled.

Leek whistled and a Predator landed on the ground between him, Nick, and Sofi. It chattered curiously as its head swiveled from side to side, sensing the three heartbeats in the room. Its targets were the two before it. Swinging its head from side-to-side, the Predator crept closer, and closer.

Until it was directly in front of Cutter.

Sofi felt her breath leave her. She closed her eyes and pressed her head against Nick's arm. This was it. She was going to die. The same way she should've died eleven years ago.

Then... the Predator squealed.

Sofi opened her eyes to see it laying on the ground at Nick's feet. The neural clamp that had once occupied its brain was missing, held firmly between the Professor's fingers. The creature chattered once more, its hands clamped down around the wound protruding from its skull. Then it was dead.

Leek clapped. Loud, slow, and condescending. "Clearly a design fault," he said with a sigh. "I'll have to correct that in the others."

Sofi snapped to attention. "Others?" she repeated. "What others?"

Leek pointed above him as a light flickered on. At least a dozen or so more future predators hung from the metal rafters. Each one had a neural clamp attached to their skulls, and each one was blinking red. A clear indication that they were still under Leek's control.

"What's it going to be, Sofi?" Leek asked. "You or the Professor."

"How about you?" Sofi suggested.

Leek laughed, humorlessly. "You threat's don't scare me, Sofi," he mocked. "What are you going to do? Hmm? You're powerless down here. I hold all the cards."

"Maybe," said Sofi, nodding. "But then, I'm not the one who's put my life in a Predator's hands. Now, Nick!"

Having shuffled his way over the side of the room, Nick jammed the neural clamp in his hand into the open breaker box. It sparked, and Sofi looked up to see the other clamps switch off.

"What have you done?" Leek asked, all his viciousness disappearing as the Predators became more violent and self-aware. "You've doomed us all."

"You asked me to choose," Sofi said. "I did."

"Sofi!"

As the Predators descended on Leek, Sofi turned and run across the room to Nick. He grabbed her hand and pulled her through the door, slamming it shut behind them. On the other side, all they could hear was Leek's screams as the predators dismembered him joint-by-joint.

Sofi slid down the door and rested her head in her hands. Nick sat beside her, pulling her into a one-armed hug.

"I want to go home," Sofi whispered, resting her head on Nick's shoulder.

"I know," Nick said, kissing the top of her head. "Come on. Let's find a way out of here."

Sofi nodded and allowed him to pull her to her feet, and lead her down another corridor.

**~X~**

"There's no time!"

Sofi and Nick stopped and looked at one another. The voice was easily recognised as Helen Cutter's. She was talking to someone, and if the sound of rapid footfalls was anything to go by, she was chasing after them, too.

"Forget about Lester," Helen continued, her voice growing louder and louder as she grew closer. "It's too late."

Taking Sofi's hand, Nick led her down the corridor and up a flight of stairs, right into the path of Stephen.

"Sofi? Nick?" Stephen asked, disbelief reflected in his eyes.

"What are you doing here?" Sofi asked. "Did you know about this place? Did you know what they've been doing here?"

"I've never seen this place before in my life," said Stephen, shaking his head. He slowly turned to Helen. "You told me they were dead. What have you done?"

"I told you the truth," said Helen. "Lester brought me here."

Sofi shook her head. "Enough with the lies, Helen! You can't even bring yourself to admit the truth to Stephen, a man you claim to care about. Everything he's done for you has been done under the false pretense that you care."

"Ask her," Nick said, firmly. "Ask her what she really wanted to do. Go on, ask her about Leek. Ask her about how many people are going to die."

"They're trying to trick you."

"Trick him?  _Trick him?!_ " Sofi repeated, her temper getting the better of her. "Do you have any idea of the consequences of your actions, Helen? Can you even comprehend what you've done? What you let Leek do? All because you wanted to see how you could change the future."

Helen chuckled.

Still seething, Sofi turned her attention to Stephen. "I don't see how you could love someone like her," she said. "She's a sociopath. She doesn't care about who she hurts, whether it's through her words or her actions, as long as she gets to do what she wants to do, she is happy."

"That still doesn't put you in the right!" Stephen yelled.

"Don't you get?" Sofi argued. "This isn't about who is right or wrong anymore, Stephen. There is a whole army of predators in here that is going to make it out into the world unless we do something! When we first learned about the anomalies, we signed the Official Secrets Act, and took an oath to  _protect_  people."

Stephen stared at Sofi.

"What do you intend to do, Sofi?" Helen asked. "They're too powerful. There's nothing you can do."

"This is your fault!" Sofi snapped. "Fix it!"

Helen stared at the teenager and smirked. "I always knew there was something about you that I liked, Sofi," she said. "Your drive, your passion, your ability to stand up to others. You want my help? Alright, I'll help."

"Don't mistake our weakness for blindness, Helen, we don't  _want_  your help, we  _need_  it. There is a difference," said Sofi. "Once this is over, we're done. I don't care what Lester does to you."

Helen smirked.

"What's your plan?" Nick asked.

"The siren," Helen answered, her gaze still trained on Sofi. "The creatures associate the sound with food. They'll come back to the menagerie whenever it sounds."

"Classical Conditioning," Sofi muttered.

Helen nodded.

"If we can lock them all in together then they'll destroy each other," said Nick. He placed his hand on the small of Sofi's back and led her back towards the menagerie. "Come on, then," he added to Stephen and Helen.

**~X~**

Once back in the main room, Nick reached the controller first. He pressed the large, round red button on the centre and instantly the siren went off. It blared loudly, rebounding off the walls of the building and causing the domino effect with the echoes.

Amidst the echoes came the snarls and roars of the predators, as each and every one of them made their way back to the menagerie.

"It's working," said Nick. "Let's get out of here."

Sofi nodded and headed back for the main doors. She passed through first, followed by Stephen, then Nick, and finally Helen. As the doors started to close, Helen threw herself forward but stopped short as a Raptor caught her boot.

"Stephen, shoot it!" Nick called, as he wrapped his arms around Helen's waist and tried to haul her to safety. Stephen grabbed the doors, trying his hardest to keep them from closing on Helen and Nick.

As her gaze flickered around the room, Sofi spotted a breaker box on the wall near the doors. She rushed to it, prised open the door and pulled the lever inside. There was a spark and the doors stopped moving, giving Helen enough time to kick at the Raptor with her free foot and knock it loose.

The Raptor snarled and backed away, allowing Nick to pull Helen to safety.

"Thank you, Sofi," Helen said, her breathing heavy.

"I didn't do it for you," Sofi replied.

Helen stood, readjusting her clothes. "The creatures are almost here," she said. "We need to leave now. This way..."

"We can't," said Sofi.

"What? Why?"

Sofi pointed to the breaker box and then the doors. "The surge of residual energy that switched off the neural clamps as short-circuited the whole electrical grid," she said. "I pulled the lever to stop the doors from crushing you. Unfortunately, there isn't enough power to flip it back. The doors won't close."

"And if the doors don't close then the predators can get out," said Stephen, realising what Sofi meant.

Sofi nodded.

"Is there any other way to close these doors?" Nick asked.

"The only way is from in there now," said Helen, nodding to the menagerie where several of the creatures had already returned. "The controls are on the other side, but whoever does it will be locked in."

"Then one of us has got to go back in," Nick sighed. He looked around at them all, his gaze finally settling on Sofi. "Don't even consider volunteering," he warned.

"I'm as eligible as any of you," said Sofi.

Nick shook his head. "No, Sofi, you're nineteen!" he said. "You're still a child, and you have your whole life ahead of you. You have to be here for when Ryan wakes up, and the ARC still needs you."

"What about you?" Sofi asked. "We still need you, too, Professor.  _I_  still need you. I already lost one father, please don't make me lose another."

Smiling softly, Nick drew Sofi into his arms and hugged her tightly. He then pulled away and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Live for me," he whispered.

"Nick..." Sofi said, trying again to get him to stay.

But Nick ignored her. Instead, he turned to Stephen and slapped him on the shoulder. He leaned forward and whispered something in his ear, something only Stephen could hear.

As Nick moved towards the doors, Stephen turned wildly and punched his old friend in the face. Sofi screamed as the doors closed with a hiss. Cradling his jaw, Nick stood and peered in through the circle window, alarmed to find Stephen standing on the other side.

"Stephen!"

"Sorry, mate, I'm doing this one," said Stephen.

"No, open the door! Open it!" Nick yelled, frantically. He banged his fist against the metal.

"Can't do it, Nick," said Stephen, shaking his head. "Can't take the risk."

"Stephen, open the door!"

"Tell Abby and Connor to stay out of trouble," said Stephen. "Oh, and Sofi, you were right."

Sofi furrowed her brow and was just about to ask what he meant when the first predator attacked. Their snarls, roars, and chatter made it impossible for Sofi to watch more than a few seconds before she had to look away; and what made it worse - or maybe it made things better - was that Stephen didn't even have a chance to scream.

Yes, that was definitely for the better.


	14. Epilogue

_One Week Later..._

_**Stephen James Hart** _

_**Died: 4th March, 2007** _

_**Aged 32** _

_**Rest in Peace** _

The ceremony had been short and sweet. The whole ARC had turned out for the service, including people like James Lester and Marion Hopkins, she had taken over the day-to-day running's of the ARC since the death of Oliver Leek a week previous.

Even Stephen's family, whom Sofi had never met, had turned up. She was surprised to learn that he had a young brother, barely out of his teens. Joshua Hart was only sixteen and he looked hopelessly lost as he stood at his older brother's graveside.

With Jayden's arm around her shoulders, Sofi turned away. She still couldn't believe he was gone. It had only been a week, at most, for the coroner to sign off on the body, or what was left of it, and allow them to bury his remains.

"Come on," Jayden whispered. "I'll take you home."

Sofi wanted to argue with him and tell him no. She didn't want to go home. But she also didn't have the energy to do it. Her head, while full of questions and queries, was also full of fog and mist. She couldn't work out why it had to have been Stephen that needed to die for them. Sure, he saved Nick, and for that she was grateful, but Stephen still had so much to do in his life.

Why couldn't Helen have sacrificed herself? What did she offer to the world other than torment?

With Jayden leading her across the path, Sofi became aware of a figure in uniform standing beside her Mustang. She raised her head and frowned at the look on Graham's face. "What?" she asked, growing closer. "What's wrong?"

"It's Ryan," Graham said.

Sofi felt her world slow and her heart beat faster. The look on Graham's face didn't bode well with her. He looked like he had just watched a dog get run over. Thinking the worst, tears appeared in Sofi's eyes and she shook her head, all the while staring at Graham. "No," she whispered. "Please. Please, tell me he's okay."

"I'll do you one better," said Graham, his face suddenly split into a smile. "He's awake."

**End of Season Two.**

* * *

**Sofi will return in her own adaption of Primeval Season Three.**

**It will be called Trials and Tribulations.**

**~Twix.**

**Author's Note:**

> Due to changed plot. There will be a rewrite coming soon.


End file.
